CHICAGO — It’s been widely reported how dangerous the synthetic opioid fentanyl can be. Now, there’s a new set of drugs popping up in Illinois. More deadly than fentanyl, experts warn it could become the next big drug crisis.
The drugs in question are: Xylazine, a strong animal tranquilizer, and nitazene , a synthetic opioid similar to fentanyl.
“It’s out there and it’s in every neighborhood,” Kurt Diana said.
Diana’s adult son Mike died after taking Xanax laced with fentanyl that he bought on the street.
Since then, Diana has learned all he can about fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, sharing that knowledge in hopes that no other family experiences what he did.
In Cook County, nitazene played a role in 141 deaths, versus 531 for zylazine since 2019, according to data reviewed by WGN Investigates.
The numbers are still lower than the number of fentanyl-related deaths during that span but experts warn that could shift in the coming years.
“We were so super fixated on fentanyl that xylazine walked right through the door,” said Paul Taylor Wood, of the nonprofit Chicago Recovery Alliance.