The Saskatchewan RCMP has more information about the dangerous strain of fentanyl which is circulation in southern Saskatchewan right now.  The RCMP first warned the public about it on Tuesday. Investigators now add that the fentanyl is believed to be mixed with benzodiazepines or xylazine, which is a horse tranquilizer. This mixture increases the risk of an overdose which can’t be reversed by the administration of naloxone. At this point, police can’t definitively comment on the composition of the fentanyl in question, as it remains under investigation.

RCMP say the fentanyl is circulating in southern Saskatchewan, including the Moose Jaw and Swift Current areas. The Moose Jaw Police Service says this new strain hasn’t been detected in that city.

Fentanyl mixed with xylazine is not new south of the border. A report last year from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, says xylazine has been detected in a growing number of overdose deaths and notes that the tranquilizer can be purchased from Chinese suppliers online. It was first found in overdose deaths in Puerto Rico in the early 2,000s.