SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 23, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah Opioid Task Force and the Utah Fentanyl Task Force are alerting community organizations, healthcare providers, first responders, and the public that medetomidine has been detected in Utah’s illicit drug supply.
Medetomidine is a potent synthetic veterinary sedative and painkiller, which is not approved for human use, but has increasingly been used as a dangerous cutting agent in the illicit drug supply (often mixed with fentanyl).
Identified through ongoing drug surveillance, this detection allows Utah’s overdose prevention, public health, and public safety partners to provide timely guidance and underscores the need for continued surveillance, education, and access to overdose prevention tools.
“Partners will keep monitoring the supply and share updates as available,” a news release from the tasks forces says.
Medetomidine is increasingly found in U.S. street drugs. First detected in 2022, it was linked to a spike in overdoses in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Chicago by 2024 and is now reported nationwide, with the highest rates in the Northeast and Midwest.
Substantially more potent than xylazine — another veterinary sedative — it is not an opioid and cannot be reversed by naloxone, the news release says. But because it is often mixed with fentanyl and other opioids, naloxone remains essential to every overdose response.
“The illicit drug supply continues to evolve, and new substances emerge alongside opioids already in our communities,” said the Utah Opioid Task Force and Utah Fentanyl Task Force. “The detection of medetomidine reinforces the importance of recognizing an overdose, responding quickly, calling 911, carrying naloxone, and educating those around us, especially people at increased risk. These simple actions can make the difference between life and death while help is on the way.”
What to Do During a Suspected Overdose
- Call 911 immediately.
- Administer naloxone. It won’t reverse medetomidine, but it reverses fentanyl, nitazenes, heroin, morphine, and other opioids that may be present.
- Focus on breathing, not wakefulness. A person may stay unconscious after naloxone but begin breathing normally — if breathing improves, it’s working.
- Give rescue breaths if the person isn’t breathing adequately.
- Use the recovery position if they are breathing on their own while awaiting EMS.
- Keep monitoring and give more naloxone if breathing slows or stops again.
Medetomidine is another change in the drug supply, but the response is unchanged: call 911, administer naloxone, support breathing, and stay with the person until help arrives. These steps remain the most effective way to save lives.
