LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Researchers at the University of Kentucky said they've found syringes in Jefferson County that tested positive for a common pet sedative.

The drug, medetomidine, is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved sedative for pets. It’s often mixed with other illicit drugs such as fentanyl or heroin.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association , the drug was first detected in 2022 in Maryland, before making its way to the Northeast. More than 100 people in Philadelphia were hospitalized with severe withdrawal symptoms in just four months last year.

Shreeta Waldon, executive director at the Kentucky Harm Reduction Coalition, said medetomidine’s rise is part of a larger national trend that’s now making its way to the South.

“What we do know is everything

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