Animal tranquilizers showing up in B.C.’s drug supply, increasing need for regulated supply: advocate

A harm reduction advocate says B.C.’s drug supply is getting increasingly worse as animal tranquilizers enter the mix.

Guy Felicella, clinical advisor at BC’s Centre on Substance Use, says xylazine, which is a type of horse tranquilizer, is now showing up in samples from Vancouver and Sechelt, and toxic drugs have affected the whole supply.

He says December has been an extremely challenging month for those battling addiction, and a regulated drug supply is needed now more than ever before, meaning the province needs more testing.

“Right now, people don’t have a choice,” he said. “The people who are using drugs are just going to that market. And if we don’t give somebody at least an alternative to that, they’re going to continue to purchase these substances.” 

Felicella says while they are trying to monitor the situation closely, they don’t have the ability to have any quality control over the substances.  

And it’s not just people who struggle with addiction who are at risk, he says.

“There are people who are intermediate users, they are people who don’t have any issue with drugs but use them every once in a while,” he said.

“Everybody in this province is at risk.”