Halton Healthcare – which includes Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, Milton District Hospital and Georgetown Hospital – is one of the first hospitals in Ontario to provide patients at risk with free xylazine test strips.
Xylazine, more commonly known as ‘tranq’ or ‘horse tranquillizer,’ is a veterinary medication that can cause severe conditions in people, such as painful skin ulcers, central nervous system depression and death.
In 2022, there were 7,328 apparent opioid toxicity deaths in Canada, averaging 20 daily deaths. Compounding this crisis is the recent appearance of xylazine mixed with street drugs such as fentanyl. Almost 87 percent of the opioid deaths occurred in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
The free test strips are a quick and easy way to detect the presence of xylazine in opioids. The test strips are a new tool that lets patients check their opioids in a non-judgmental way while also educating people about the dangers of opioid use and preventing further harm.
Halton Healthcare is among the first to offer patients potentially life-saving xylazine test strips. It is dedicated to raising public awareness of the opioid crisis and sharing how Halton Healthcare supports at-risk patients.
For more information on this initiative, please visit the Halton Healthcare website.