Animal sedatives increasingly found in Montreal’s drug supply, health officials warn
Posted September 8, 2025 6:25 pm.
Last Updated September 9, 2025 4:21 pm.
Montreal health officials are warning the public that animal sedatives are frequently detected in the city’s illicit drug supply, increasing the risk of overdose.
In a press release last week, the Direction régionale de santé publique (DRSP) said medetomidine and, to a lesser extent, xylazine were found over the last few weeks.
Officials warn the combination of these drugs, along with depressants like opioids (fentanyl) and benzodiazepines, can increase the risk of overdose.
“(Animal sedatives were detected) in samples from police seizures as well as samples tested by Montreal drug testing services and sent to Health Canada’s laboratory for confirmatory analysis,” said Geneviève Paradis, a spokesperson for the health authority.
“We also have blood and/or urine samples from users confirming the presence of medetomidine.”
Both medetomidine and xylazine are used as sedatives and painkillers for animals in veterinary medicine.
A person under the influence of these animal sedatives could present symptoms such as: bradycardia, hypotension, respiratory depression that may progress to respiratory arrest, significant drowsiness, decreased or absent response to stimuli, and hyperglycemia.
Naloxone, which reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, is not effective against medetomidine nor xylazine. It is still recommended where an overdose is suspected, but a 911 call for rapid intervention might be necessary.
“This is particularly important in the context of a mixed overdose that does not respond quickly to naloxone,” the news release reads. “Hospital care for the management of cardiac or respiratory effects may be required.”
