New Brunswick on Alert as Animal Tranquilizer Enters Drug Supply

A spike in drug overdoses over the weekend in Moncton has put frontline workers across New Brunswick on high alert.

While Saint John hasn't seen that same surge, harm reduction workers say they are closely watching as medetomidine, a powerful veterinary tranquilizer not meant for humans, appears in the region's illegal drug supply. Deputy Chief Ed Moyer of the Saint John Fire Department confirms, 'We're not seeing the overdoses that Moncton is currently, but we suspect we will.'

Moncton's fire department responded to 52 overdose calls this past weekend, a record for the city's fire chief. Josue Goguen, a front-line supervisor at Ensemble Moncton, says testing indicates the presence of medetomidine, which does not respond to naloxone. Laura MacNeill of Avenue B Harm Reduction in Saint John adds that xylazine, another animal tranquilizer, is also circulating, complicating overdose response.