Look Out, Florida, Here Comes Flysky
Visits to the vet are stressful for pets and their human handlers alike. Even though our animal friends do not have the language to tell us what is bothering them, they often receive diagnoses similar to the ones that human patients receive from physicians. They suffer from the aches and pains of old age and from lack of opportunities for sufficient physical activity. They are stressed out because the neighbor’s cat sits in your backyard for a few minutes every day and stares menacingly through your window. Perhaps your pet is stressed out because he never warmed up to your spouse and still misses having you all to himself. Likewise, the effect of many medications is similar in humans and in domestic animals; some pharmaceutical drugs are approved both for medical use in humans and for veterinary use in other species. Every so often, a veterinary drug that is not approved for use in humans finds an audience among recreational users. If you are facing criminal charges for illegal possession of veterinary drugs, contact a West Palm Beach drug offenses lawyer.
Big Trouble Awaits If You Take More Than Enough Medetomidine for Just a Catnap
The anesthesia drugs that doctors use today are so pleasant that some of them fetch a high price on the street. Every day, you see news headlines about recreational use of fentanyl and ketamine, but if you have ever had surgery, those were probably among the drugs that the anesthesiologist gave you. Most patients have an easy recovery from anesthesia; if you have dissociative symptoms or nausea and vomiting after surgery, it is probably because of the drugs used for postoperative pain relief, rather than from the anesthesia drugs themselves. The controls are less strict for the drugs used in veterinary medicine. Many of the sedatives that vets give to animals during surgery or for pain relief have been the subject of clinical trials for human use, but the FDA did not approve them for use in humans, because they carried too many risks.
One veterinary drug that has been prevalent in Florida’s illegal drug supply for several years is xylazine, a tranquilizer so powerful that, at high enough doses, it can anesthetize horses and rhinoceroses. Another is medetomidine, which you can find in any vet’s office. It is commonly prescribed to dogs and cats for pain relief; at higher doses, it is an anesthesia drug for household pets. In the past year, several states have seized a drug mixture called flysky, which is a combination of medetomidine and synthetic opioids. The greatest danger of this drug is that, while it is possible to reverse the effects of opioid overdose with naloxone, naloxone cannot reverse the respiratory depression potentially caused by high doses of medetomidine.
Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Attorney William Wallshein has more than 41 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County. Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ap-top-news/2025/05/01/animal-sedative-medetomidine-is-showing-up-in-the-us-illegal-drug-supply-cdc-says
