Drug overdoses have always been a problem on American streets. Federal reports suggest that one person dies of a drug overdose every five minutes in America. Now a new drug is causing alarm on the US streets, literally rotting people's skin.
The substance known as Xylazine, otherwise known as Tranq, is creating mayhem in major cities across the country with its devastating effects. Time magazine reports that Xylazine is an animal tranquillizer that is increasingly used as a synthetic cutting agent for opioids like heroin.
The news outlet further said that in a report, it found that xylazine is popping up in cities all over the country. Use of the drug is increasing at exponential rates where it lands, causing outbreaks of skin infections and overdoses. The national spread of xylazine is a public health threat. It also foreshadows the future of the overdose crisis, increasingly driven by powerful synthetic compounds mixed into potent combinations.
According to Sky News, "Tranq Dope" is a mix of Fentanyl, the opioid that has decimated America's youth, and the veterinary drug Xylazine. It is sold on the street for just a few dollars per bag.
Public health authorities are horrified by its spread and worried about the terrible scars it leaves on individuals who use it.
Sam, who spoke to Sky News, claimed that "Tranq is basically zombifying people's bodies." The 28-year-old said that he has struggled with a substance use disorder since the age of 14, adding that he has been in and out of treatment for many years of his life.
According to The New York Post, Xylazine induces sedative-like symptoms, such as excessive sleepiness and respiratory depression, as well as open sores that, after repeated exposure, can become serious and spread quickly. 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.
