US issues urgent alert as ‘zombie drug’ Tranq rotten skin found in 48 states with no drugs to reverse ODs
The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a nationwide warning, insisting the drug Tranq makes fentanyl “even deadlier”.
The DEA claims that xylazine, also known as Tranq, is widely available – and becoming more common – in the United States.
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The statement shows that it has been found in 48 out of 50 states.
“Xylazine makes the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” said Anne Milgram, Administrator of the DEA.
“DEA has seized mixtures of xylazine and fentanyl in 48 out of 50 states.
“The DEA Laboratory System reports that in 2022, about 23 percent of fentanyl powder and 7 percent of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine.”
Drug dealers are now mixing xylazine with fentanyl, a mixture highly likely to cause fatal drug intoxication, a condition for which there is no cure.
Because xylazine is not an opioid, the effects of naloxone (the drug typically used to treat these overdoses) are ineffective.
“There are no existing drugs to reverse a xylazine overdose,” NIDA told The US Sun.
Other side effects of Xylazine include the development of serious wounds, including necrosis, which is the rotting of human tissue.
Tranq users have faced open sores in their skin, particularly at injection sites. These sores can turn into a crust of dead tissue, which can worsen the infection and increase the likelihood of damaging the entire limb.
These injuries are so severe that they sometimes require amputation.
Xylazine is believed to be 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
The CDC reports that between 2021 and 2022, over 100,000 Americans died from drug poisoning.
66 percent of those deaths were linked to opioids like fentanyl.
“The US has an established population of several million people who are already dependent on opioids,” Professor Keith Humphreys, former White House drug policy adviser, told The US Sun.
“This creates a lucrative market for drug dealers who sell opioids mixed with other drugs.”
What is xylazine?
Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer used by veterinarians on cows and horses and has now been used to break down opioids such as heroin or fentanyl.
The drug is not safe for human consumption and is only legal for veterinary use.
People have been known to inject, snort, swallow, or inhale the drug.
Xylazine slows breathing and heart rate, causes drowsiness and incoordination, and can cause blue or grayish skin with erupting ulcers and sores.
The full extent of xylazine-related deaths in the US is unknown, but research shows such deaths have spread toward the west of the country, hitting the Northeast hardest.
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https://www.the-sun.com/news/7680492/urgent-warning-zombie-drug-tranq-rots-skin-no-medication/ US issues urgent alert as ‘zombie drug’ Tranq rotten skin found in 48 states with no drugs to reverse ODs