Psychosocial consequences of xylazine and implications for harm reduction services

Introduction

Xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use, has increasingly contaminated the unregulated drug supply in the United States and is a key driver of an increasingly synthetic, polysubstance overdose crisis. While research has focused on xylazine’s toxicologic and physiologic effects, less is known about its psychosocial consequences for people who use drugs (PWUD) and their implications for harm reduction services.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 17 PWUD and 8 staff at a syringe services program in Miami, FL from June–July 2023. Emergent codes in the transcripts were identified using inductive memos. Final themes were established through team-based thematic analysis and validated through member-checking.

Results

Participants reported that xylazine intensified five key psychosocial harms that exacerbated existing challenges for PWUD, including 1) keeping oneself and others alive; 2) protecting oneself and one’s possessions; (3) curbing withdrawal; (4) entering and remaining in addiction recovery; and (5) fitting into society.

Discussion

Xylazine’s emergence has compounded existing harms for PWUD and introduced new challenges for harm reduction services. This study underscores the need for novel and expanded harm reduction services that go beyond traditional opioid-focused approaches to encompass the complexity of polysubstance use and the unique features of xylazine dependence. This includes additional drug-checking services for xylazine detection, updated clinical protocols for xylazine-related wound care and substance use disorder treatment complicated by xylazine dependence and polysubstance use, and expanded social and psychological support—for PWUD and the frontline harm reduction staff who care for them.