Numerous inmates in Butler County Prison were taken to the hospital, and some were, admitted over the July 4 weekend due to severe withdrawal from a drug officials said is infiltrating the county.

Warden Beau Sneddon told the county prison board Tuesday withdrawals from medetomidine left some inmates in life threatening situations.

“We didn’t have it in the facility. It was severe withdrawal,” Sneddon said.

He said medetomidine is not an opioid, so an overdose can’t be reversed by naloxone.

“So we had some really, really seriously sick people,” Sneddon said.

Judge Joseph Kubit looked up medetomidine using his phone and read aloud an artificial intelligence definition describing it as a powerful synthetic veterinary sedative and an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist that is 200 to 300 times more potent than xylazine. Medetomidine is increasingly detected as an illicit adulterant in the North American street opioid supply.

Kubit continued, saying opioid reversal agents, like naloxone, will restore breathing if mixed with fentanyl, but will not reverse the deep unconsciousness or sedation caused by medetomidine.

County Commissioner Kevin Boozel said the county drug and alcohol advisory board recently discussed the appearance of medetomidine in the county. Commissioner Kim Geyer said Armstrong County commissioners have told her the drug is becoming a problem in their county, as well.

“I mean this is life and death — a life and death situation,” Sneddon said about the July 4 withdrawals.

Sneddon said the first two inmates who got sick were taken to Butler Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

Sheriff Mike Slupe, board chairman, said deputies then took six inmates to the hospital at the same time in a county vehicle. He said some of the inmates had to be intubated.

“We haven’t seen it here and it’s scary because there’s not a whole lot we can do,” Sneddon said.

He said all the inmates were returned to the prison by July 7.

The affected inmates were brought to the prison as a group after being arrested by law enforcement at the same location, he said. Slupe noted the inmates were brought to the prison by county probation officers for violations.

Sneddon said he believes the inmates ingested a mixture of medetomidine and fentanyl.

“It was a bad weekend,” Slupe said.