Medetomidine, a powerful animal sedative used by veterinarians, is fast becoming the adulterant of choice for drug cartels pushing fentanyl on U.S. streets.
Also known as “rhino tranq,” medetomidine is showing up more frequently than its cousin xylazine, a pain reliever, in the illicit drug supply in places such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago, according to public health alerts.
