The Crime Lab's methodology involved a three-month pilot program starting April 11, 2023.
Use fentanyl test strips: Detecting fentanyl in a substance using test strips can facilitate safer drug use, enabling individuals to be prepared for potential overdoses. Carry naloxone: Despite xylazine not being an opioid, its presence alongside opioids warrants the availability of naloxone for reversing the effects of overdose. Avoid drug combinations: Mixing substances amplifies unpredictability and the risk of overdose. Stagger drug use with others: Ensuring at least one person in a group can administer naloxone, a medication to reverse opioid overdoses, can be life-saving. Use small doses: Starting with minimal amounts and gradually increasing consumption can mitigate overdose risks associated with contaminated substances. Never use alone: Utilizing drugs with another person present increases the chance of timely intervention in case of overdose. For those who continue to use drugs, the Department offers several guidelines to minimize the risk of overdose: In response to this alarming situation, Public Health underscores the safest course of action: avoiding the use of illicit drugs altogether. The Department of Public Health highlighted in a Mahealth alert that xylazine is being mixed with illicit opioids, such as heroin or fentanyl, or pressed into counterfeit pills and sedatives to enhance the potency of these drugs. 
Importantly, individuals procuring these drugs may not be aware that xylazine has been introduced into the mix. The presence of substances like xylazine underscores the potential for increased overdose deaths. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has responded to these findings with a strong message about the persisting dangers of the illicit drug market.
It has been called "the Zombie drug" because of the sores caused. Its presence in illicit drugs poses severe risks, including dangerously low blood pressure, decreased breathing and heart rates, and potential tissue damage that could result in skin wounds, large sores, and ulcers when ingested by humans. Public health officials in Los Angeles have identified xylazine, a veterinary anesthetic, in small quantities of illicit drugs confiscated.
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