An animal sedative keeps turning up in opioid deaths – what you need to know about medetomidine

By Heba Ghazal, Senior Lecturer, Pharmacy, Kingston University

A dangerous new drug adulterant is spreading through America’s illicit opioid supply, and it’s making overdoses significantly harder to reverse. Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative normally used to sedate pets, is increasingly being mixed with heroin and fentanyl, creating a cocktail that experts warn could be far deadlier than previous street drug combinations.

Known as “flysky” on the streets, this animal tranquilliser has already been linked to at least

Read complete article

~	Escalating Israeli offensive in Gaza City will have catastrophic and irreversible consequences for Palestinians

~	Plans to ‘maximise extraction’ of North Sea oil and gas would soon run into geological limits

~	Can certain food cravings predict a cancer diagnosis, up to three months before other symptoms appear?

~	History is full of failed attempts to establish new currencies. So what makes crypto different?

~	Stories of people at war – what to watch, read and see this week

~	Why the US new military operation against Latin American drug cartels stokes regional tensions

~	One queen ant, two species: the discovery that reshapes what ‘family’ means in nature

~	Heart attack patients: do you still need beta blockers? A cardiologist explains

~	Jamaican prime minister returns to power amid reduction in violent crime

~	DR Congo crisis: Funding cuts curtail assistance to victims of sexual violence