![]() ![]() Gary Tsai, the director of substance abuse prevention and control with the LA County Department of Public Health, believes the drug’s prevalence “would increase deaths from overdoses.” Homeless people gather (above) in Kensington.Anadolu Agency via Getty Imagesĭr. Xylazine was found in 90% of drug samples tested in Philadelphia in 2021. Experts warn that xylazine could worsen the ongoing drug epidemic.Īn outreach worker said it is “too late” for the city of Philadelphia, where “tranq” is reportedly widespread. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The worrying “tranq” trend comes as the New York City Department of Health reported that 2,668 New Yorkers died of overdoses in 2021. Now, there are holes in my legs and feet.” “Until nine months ago, I never had wounds. “Tranq is basically zombifying people’s bodies,” Sam, 28, told Sky News. People with substance use disorders who get hooked on the zombifying drug believe the emerging substance killed “any kind of joy” that came with getting high. If other places around the country have a choice to avoid it, they need to hear our story.” ![]() “It’s too late for Philly,” Shawn Westfahl, an outreach worker with Prevention Point Philadelphia, told the Times. The city reported that 90% of lab-tested dope samples from 2021 contained xylazine, which can increase the risk of overdose when combined with other illicit substances.īut the lethal combination of substances is what gives xylazine its appeal - the high of the opioid, such as fentanyl, is extended with the help of “tranq.” “I’d wake up in the morning crying because my arms were dying,” Tracey McCann, 39, told the New York Times.įlesh-eating drug ‘tranq’ meant for animals now linked to thousands of heroin, fentanyl ODs Last month, one Philly user suddenly developed xylazine-specific wounds near her opioid injection sites. “Tranq” is worrying medical experts as its presence in other drugs rises.Getty Images/iStockphoto The crusty ulcerations, which can become dead skin called eschar, can result in amputation if left untreated.īecause it is not listed as a controlled substance for animals or humans, “tranq” lands in a confusing and horrifying gray area - and hospitals rarely test for it with routine toxicology screenings.Ī homeless person in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, where “tranq” has saturated the city. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Xylazine causes sedative-like symptoms, such as excessive sleepiness and respiratory depression, as well as raw wounds that can become severe and spread rapidly with repeated exposure. While approved by the Food and Drug Administration for veterinary use, xylazine, a non-opioid, is not safe for humans, and those who overdose on the drug do not respond to naloxone, or Narcan, the most common overdose reversal treatment. The substance, which seemed to first appear in Philadelphia before migrating west to San Francisco and Los Angeles, was used for cutting heroin, but, most recently, it has been discovered in fentanyl and other illicit drugs. Xylazine - otherwise known as “tranq,” “tranq dope” and “zombie drug” - is wreaking havoc in major cities across the country with its devastating effects: It can literally rot the user’s skin. ![]() ![]() There’s a new drug in town - and it has deadly consequences. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |