Is ‘Tranq’ Actually Turning People into ‘Living Zombies’?

Introduction

The Zombifying drug ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’ also known as xylazine is being used to bulk up fentanyl and is wreaking havoc in major US cities. Drug overdoses have always been a problem on American streets but this new drug has created an alarming situation on the American streets.

The catastrophic effects of the drug usage were first to be reported in Philadelphia before its spread to the west to Los Angeles and San Francisco. It has been detected in the drug supply in 36 states across the United States Several people who have taken this drug have reported wounds like holes in their legs and feet. More than 90 per cent of lab dope samples in Philadelphia have tested positive for tranq making it the epicentre of the United States’ opioid crisis.

Illicit drugs killed a record of 107,000 people in the U.S. in 2021 as fentanyl in particular has pervaded more of the nation’s supply. Fentanyl and other drugs are being mixed in increasingly deadly ways. The FDA said xylazine has been detected in combination with methamphetamine and cocaine as well as fentanyl.

Source-NBCBoston 

What is xylazine?

Xylazine is a sedative with analgesic and muscle relaxant properties approved for use in veterinary medicine only. It is increasingly found in illicit drugs of abuse. Due to the effects of sedation, bradycardia, and hypotension, it has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human use. However, xylazine is not considered a federally controlled substance, requiring only a veterinarian’s prescription. Although in the United States, some states have begun tightening legislation around the drug.

Drugs such as cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin are often adulterated to increase bulk size or modify the effects of other medications. Xylazine is incredibly commonly used as an adulterant in a mixture of heroin and cocaine, colloquially known as a “speedball.” Xylazine has been used for multiple illicit purposes: attempted sexual assault, accidental or intentional poisoning, and drug abuse. Xylazine is also abused independently from other drugs. Routes of administration include smoking, snorting, swallowing, inhaling, or injecting. Street names for xylazine include “tranq”, “tranq dope” or “sleep cut” in the United States.

Xylazine inhibits the neurotransmitter release of both dopamine and norepinephrine at the neuronal synapse, resulting in depression of the central nervous system. Xylazine is an animal tranquillizer used for cows and horses by vets which have now been used to cut opioids like heroin or fentanyl. The drug is not safe for human consumption and is only legal for veterinary use. People are known to inject, snort, swallow, or inhale the drug.

Xylazine slows breathing and heart rate, causes drowsiness and impaired coordination, and can cause blue or greyish skin with erupting ulcers and wounds.

source-skynews.com

Effects of Xylazine Abuse

Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid used as an analgesic, is a popular drug among drug addicts and users producing effects like relaxation and euphoria when combined with xylazine are used to produce tranq. Drug dealers are aware of the fact that adding fentanyl lengthens what they call the ‘hit’.In addition to putting users into a semi-conscious conditions, the substance literally causes the skin to decay. Eschar, a scaly crust of dead tissue formed by open wounds, might necessitate amputation if left untreated. With greater doses, xylazine completely renders users unconscious since it works as a tranquillizer. 

In contrast to opioids' semi-awake bliss, fentanyl cut with xylazine may cause users to pass out and reawaken many hours later. Anybody using drugs this way is considerably more likely to suffer injury, such as sexual assault or getting hit by a car. When drugs are used with xylazine, the psychoactive effects are amplified, increasing the enjoyment of drug use. Xylazine makes blood vessels constrict, and if it gets into the tissue surrounding blood vessels it can cause tissue death and deadly soft tissue ulcer. Those who overdose on the drug do not respond to naloxone, or Narcan, the most common overdose reversal treatment. 

Hospitals rarely test for it with normal toxicology testing since "tranq" is not classified as a controlled substance for people or animals, placing it in a perplexing and horrifying grey area.

Dealers may mix xylazine into fentanyl to save money, federal law-enforcement authorities have said. The drug—known as “tranq” among some users—can be purchased at low prices from Chinese suppliers and offset some of the opioids in the mix, law-enforcement officials have said.

Action Against Xylazine Abuse

In recent news developments, it has been reported that Federal regulators said they would restrict imports of xylazine, an animal tranquillizer commonly manufactured in China that is being diverted into the illicit drug supply to deadly effect. The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday said it would more carefully scrutinize shipments of the drug into the U.S. to check that they are bound for legitimate factories, pharmacies and veterinarians.

Drug addiction has become a worldwide problem, especially among teenagers. Many young people become dependent on different types of substances and stimulating medicines that come hand-in-hand with narcotic effects. It is shocking to know what has been happening in the United States lately, the increasing prevalence of drug usage has led to some disastrous effects on the lives of people.

Drug addiction has become a worldwide problem, especially among teenagers. Many young people become dependent on different types of substances and stimulating medicines that come hand-in-hand with narcotic effects. 

Written by Akshita Bist

Edited by Nidhi Jha