Science- A dangerous new drug has gripped Philadelphia and made its way west to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
- Xylazine has been used to cut fentanyl to lower dealer costs, and extend the effects of the drug.
A disturbing new drug called xylazine — commonly referred to as "tranq" — has taken a foothold in major American cities like Philadelphia and Los Angeles, and has ghastly effects which can include the literal rotting of its user's skin, according to Sky News and LA Times.
Xylazine is a sedative, muscle relaxant, and analgesic. Veterinarians have used the drug for pharmaceutical purposes in large animals like horses and cattle.
Xylazine is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for veterinary use only, but is not considered a federally controlled substance, per the FDA. It has also not been approved for human use, thus existing in a legal grey area.
As early as 2012 it became a cutting agent for heroin and, in the years since, has been found in fentanyl and cocaine.
Sky News reported this week that fentanyl cut with xylazine can extend the effects of the drug.
Users experience a euphoric, semi-conscious state when used; however, if injected, raw wounds can erupt on a user's skin that become crusty over time and, if left untreated, lead to amputation in the worst cases, per a Sky investigation.
Overdose deaths have been reported
Philadelphia is regarded as a ground zero for the drug, and though cases are small it has found its way west, with the LA Times saying this week that xylazine has made its way to California's drug trade.
Overdose deaths have been reported in San Franciso and Los Angeles, the outlet reported.
"The main concern is we're already amid the worst overdose crisis in history, nationally and locally," Dr. Gary Tsai, the director of substance abuse prevention and control for the LA County Department of Public Health, told The Times.
"This would increase deaths from overdoses."
'It's too late for Philly,' according to an outreach worker
"Incidences of xylazine are concerning because it is not an opioid," Dr. Ponni Arunkumar, the chief medical examiner at Cook County in Philadelphia, told ABC 7 Chicago earlier this month.
"It does not get affected by naloxone, which is used to reverse [a] fentanyl" overdose, Dr. Arunkumar said.
Indeed, the FDA said in August 2022, that "naloxone may not be able to reverse" the effects of xylazine.
Xylazine has also been called "tranq," "tranq dope," or "zombie drug," according to the New York Times.
Though it's not considered common, an outreach worker called Shawn Westfahl told The New York Times: "It's too late for Philly."
A study conducted in June 2022 showed that xylazine was detected in the drug supply in 36 states.