The Excelsior Springs Substance Abuse-Free Environment (SAFE) coalition welcomed Amanda Ruback, community outreach coordinator from the Missouri Poison Center, to discuss new drug trend statistics harming Missouri’s youth, including a new drug, xylazine. Ruback explained while fentanyl is still circulating in metropolitan areas causing deaths among youth and adult populations in Missouri, there has been an increase in death numbers in the pediatric age range: newborn to six-year-olds. With the dramatic increase in fatalities, Ruback said, in November alone, two out of five recent deaths reported have been associated with fentanyl.” She noted the increase in deaths began in 2022, with 10 children aged five years or younger dying from fentanyl-laced drugs, whereas only three deaths were reported in 2020. Now, there is a new drug on the market raising concern. Rubak explained that xylazine, known by its common street name, Tranq or Tranq Dope, h...