Public health officials in Santa Cruz County are warning clinicians and residents who use street drugs of an increase of xylazine in local supplies, a dangerous sedative also known as “tranq.”  

Xylazine is a powerful drug approved for veterinary use, but when combined with fentanyl can lead to a higher risk of overdose, according to the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency, Public Health division.   

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Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.