So now we have to worry about xylazine.

An article in the Sunday edition of the Eagle told a frightening tale of an illegal and dangerous drug that has been in Butler County since 2019.

Those in active addiction may not even know their drugs are laced with xylazine, or “tranq,” which is a powerful, nonopioid sedative.

Since it appeared four years ago, it has become one of the most common drugs in the county and accounts for more than 37% of fatal overdoses this year, according to the state Department of Health.

Xylazine is known to extend the effects of illicit opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl.

An urgent conversation has begun among the county’s addiction specialists, who are disheartened at the thought of another potent street drug, having dealt first with the often fatal effects of heroin, then fentanyl.

But that conversation will focus on preventing as many deaths from this new scourge as possible, for which those in the addiction-prevention business should be applauded.

One of those organizations was highlighted a few pages later in the Sunday Eagle, in an article about a lemonade giveaway at a table on the sidewalk on Main Street in front of the Butler SUCCEED office.

The lemonade, while cool and refreshing, was not the most important thing at the table.

Personnel from area community aid agencies distributed a plethora of information via pamphlets on programs that could assist those in need.

More than 18 agencies partnered with SUCCEED — which stands for Slippery Rock University Center for Community Engagement, Empowerment and Development — to hold seven Lemonade Fridays throughout the summer in Butler.

On Friday, representatives from Neighborhood Legal Services, Trilogy Wellness, Lighthouse Foundation and Butler County Community College sat at the table outside the Butler SUCCEED office, sharing information on their services.

Trilogy Wellness handed out Narcan to get the overdose antidote into the hands of the public, so more lives can be saved.

Many other organizations exist in Butler County to assist those experiencing addiction, while others, like CANDLE Inc.’s Reality Tour, work to prevent young people from trying drugs.

Here’s hoping Butler County’s dedicated anti-drug agencies continue forward with energy, now that a new killer has arrived in town.

— PJG