DELANO, Calif. (KERO) — On August 5, 2023, Delano Police responded to 4 medical aid calls regarding people who had overdosed on a mixture of fentanyl and the animal tranquilizer Xylazine. On the streets, Xylazine is known as "tranq," and the growing prevalence of this drug is impacting residents across the country and here in Kern County.
Cecil Avenue in Delano is one of the busiest streets in the city, with businesses on both sides of the road and many cars going by, which made Anthony Muñoz's discovery on the sidewalk there so shocking.
"So, as I was coming into the parking lot right here, I noticed a guy in this bush. Half of his body was in a bush and half of it was on the sidewalk," said Muñoz.
Initially, Muñoz says he thought the man was passed out drunk.
"I bent over to look at his face and his eyes were rolled back into his head. I actually went to move his hand," said Muñoz. "It was kind of stiff, so I figured he was lifeless. He was dead, so I called the emergency real quick."
According to Muñoz, a Delano police officer arrived quickly and was able to resuscitate the person.
"I was really surprised no one called because it's a busy street right here. Cecil is pretty busy," said Muñoz. "I would have thought that someone would have called in."
It was just one of 4 overdose calls the Delano Police Department responded to that day.
DPD says the overdoses were caused by a drug known as tranq, a mixture of fentanyl and Xylazine, and according to officials, it's often cut with other drugs as well.
"What's happening now is it is being mixed with the fentanyl supply," said Assistant Chief of Family Medicine for Kaiser Permanente of Kern County. "What people were noticing is that not only do they get super-sedated when they take it, but the bigger issue is that it causes severe changes in the blood vessels, in the skin, so people will start to get loss of fingers or toes. They'll develop really deep wounds from this that require surgical care."
California Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains says Xylazine is being mixed with fentanyl because of its addictive qualities, and while it's emerging as a threat, it's still unclear how widespread the drug has become in Kern County.
"We need to have a good handle on what the new drug is that's coming up. We need to make sure we have the proper testing. We shouldn't be playing catch-up. That's a problem of what we're seeing right now. Xylazine is in the community and now we are trying to play catch-up to test it," said Bains. "Where are we? We don't even know where we are at. We have no idea how prevalent it is in our society."
What's clear is that tranq has become prevalent in other parts of the country, and the CDC says the rate of Xylazine found in overdose deaths is 25 times higher in 2021 than it was in 2018.
Testing for Xylazine in Kern County is increasing. Clinica Sierra Vista now offers Xylazine test strips for people to check their personal drug supply, and the Kern County Coroner has been testing for the drug since February of this year.
Pastor David Rivas, a resident of Delano who works with youth to steer them away from crime, says opioid use has increased in his community over the years.
"It's unfortunately plaguing the streets of Delano, and even more concerning is the recent introduction of tranq, which has been seen in other parts of the nation, but now it hit home at the beginning of August, and that is quite concerning," said Rivas.
As for Muñoz, he says the sight of the overdosed person on the sidewalk was not something he is used to seeing in Delano, and he says the experience has stuck with him.
"It messed me up all day," said Muñoz. "When the cops came and everything was over, I actually went into the gym to go work out, and I realized that it was so packed with people… no one could've come over and helped this guy out? I actually tried to work out, but I was so bothered I couldn't work out no more and just left."
