Xylazine: All you need to know about this flesh-eating drug

The ill effects of the drug have spilled out of the US and a death was also reported in the UK with the crisis also growing in Canada

The United States is facing the deadliest drug threat the country has ever faced, according to its Drug Enforcement Administration. The reason behind this crisis is a drug called Xylazine, which is now increasingly being termed as the “zombie drug”. The threat of this drug is so large that it has forced the US administration to put Fentanyl adulterated xylazine under the ‘emerging threat’ category. This is the first time this category has been used since its establishment in 2018.

The ill effects of the drug have spilled out of the country and a death was also reported in the UK with the crisis also growing in Canada.

Here is everything you need to know about this ‘zombie drug’ that is turning into a big menace.

What is xylazine

Xylazine is an animal tranquilliser, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for sedation and muscle relaxing purposes in non-human mammals only. It isn't approved for human use after clinical trials confirmed its several hazardous side effects.

Side effects

The side effects of xylazine can be life-threatening and it becomes even more dangerous when combined with opioids like fentanyl.

Fentanyl and xylazine are both psychoactive substances that intensify the effects that a person feels. Because the effects of fentanyl are short-lived, xylazine prolongs the sensation of euphoria it produces, simulating the effects of heroin. Xylazine is known to produce hypertension followed by a slow heart rate,lower blood pressure and respiratory depression, along with physical and mental deterioration.

Why zombie drug

Among xylazine’s dangerous side effects is its usage could also lead to open wounds and lesions to form skin ulcers. This is why it has been given the name of the ‘zombie drug’. These sores can grow into deep wounds which could even lead to amputation of those body parts.

Supply and usage

Known as ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’, cartels are now combining xylazine with strong opioids such as heroin and fentanyl to reduce costs of producing large batches of these drugs.

While there are multiple adverse effects of this drug, users have reportedly not known the adulteration by this drug leading to unexpected side effects.

According to a US Drug Enforcement Administration intelligence report published last year, the number of overdose deaths containing xylazine climbed by more than 1,000 per cent in the South, by 750 per cent in the West, and by roughly 500 per cent in the Midwest between 2020 and 2021.

Rehabilitation

A troubling factor about xylazine is that it is not an opioid, which makes overdose reversal harder since it doesn't respond to medication such as Narcan. Users have also stated that the rehabilitation centres are struggling due to lack of proper protocol in cases of non-opioid dependence, which makes their rehabilitation process much more painful .

Multiple US states have classified xylazine as a classified substance but advocates are concerned that this could lead to punishment for active addiction rather than paving the way for better addiction treatment.