Self-reported Xylazine Experiences: A Mixed-methods Study of Reddit Subscribers

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Public Health
• Social Science

Background:

• Xylazine, an alpha-2 agonist, is increasingly found in illicit drug supplies.
• Understanding its prevalence and effects is crucial for public health.
• Social media offers a unique window into the experiences of people who use drugs (PWUDs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the demographics of individuals exposed to xylazine.
• To determine if xylazine is a desired additive in illicit drugs.
• To identify adverse effects experienced by PWUDs due to xylazine.

Main Methods:

• Natural Language Processing (NLP) analyzed Reddit posts for xylazine mentions.
• Qualitative evaluation of posts identified xylazine-related themes.
• A survey gathered further data from Reddit users discussing xylazine.

Main Results:

• Xylazine was predominantly described as an unwanted adulterant in opioid supplies.
• Fifty-three percent of survey participants reported xylazine withdrawal symptoms.
• Common adverse events included prolonged sedation (81%) and skin wounds (43%).

Conclusions:

• Xylazine appears to be an unwanted adulterant in the illicit drug supply.
• PWUDs experience significant adverse effects, including sedation and withdrawal.
• Geographic concentration of these issues was noted in the Northeastern United States.