A dangerous new drug has been confirmed in Pittsfield's supply

Federal health officials are sounding the alarm about a substance called medetomidine, better known on the street as "rhino tranq." It's a veterinary sedative being mixed into the illicit fentanyl supply, and it has now been confirmed right here in Berkshire County.

According to Brandeis University's drug-checking program StreetCheck, confirmed medetomidine samples have come out of Pittsfield, North Adams, Holyoke, and Greenfield, making Western Massachusetts one of the hardest-hit regions in the state. -masslive.com

The Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream began warning about medetomidine last summer, flagging central and western Massachusetts as having the highest levels in drugs tested. In fact, we spoke with Dr. Jenny Michaels from the Brien Center about this a few months back.

The White House and CDC issued a joint health advisory this month after detections of rhino tranq in drug seizures nationally skyrocketed from 247 cases in 2023 to more than 8,000 in 2025, with the surge concentrated in the Northeast.

Here's what makes rhino tranq especially dangerous: Narcan doesn't fully work on it. The overdose-reversal medication that has saved countless lives in Berkshire County targets opioids, and medetomidine is not an opioid.

Health officials still recommend using Narcan because fentanyl is almost always present too, but first responders are now dealing with a threat that standard treatment can't completely address. The CDC is now advising medical staff to consider medetomidine in any patient showing prolonged sedation that doesn't respond to naloxone.

There is one piece of cautiously good news. A state legislative commission on xylazine, the previous "tranq" drug, concluded in its final report last week that xylazine detections are dropping. The bad news is that medetomidine is filling the void.

If you or someone you know uses drugs, getting substances tested remains critical. The Brien Center can connect people with local resources.