Milwaukee and Dane County Health Officials Warn of Overdose Spikes

In Milwaukee and Dane counties, health officials are concerned and raising alarms about a powerful chemical sedative which could worsen the opioid crisis. The chemical sedative, medetomidine (an animal tranquilizer) is being mixed with fentanyl and other street drugs. The catch is medetomidine is not affected by opioid-reversing drugs like Narcan. According to Dr. Ben Weston, emergency medicine physician and director of medical services for Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management, “it makes opioids even more dangerous and harder to reverses”. Health officials state that Narcan or naloxone nasal spray should always be administered in suspected overdoses.

Read more about Dr. Weston and other health officials response