Fentanyl overdose has already claimed many lives in the US. Though approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for cancer patients fentanyl is often abused to get dope. However, as this drug menace continues, there is a new beast in Philadelphia city. Its street name is Tranq or Zombie drug. Apparently, Tranq dope is a blend of xylazine, a sedative, and usually an opioid, such as fentanyl. This blend costs less than what the same quantity of fentanyl-only product would cost and this is the reason why people are using this blend to bulk up on illicit fentanyl.
Despite being inexpensive, this mixture is dangerous because xylazine causes wounds to erupt with eschar, which is a scaly dead tissue. And that’s not all. These wounds can result in amputation if neglected. This sedative-opioid combination can cause hours-long periods of unconsciousness. Xylazine does not have the same typical opioid overdose reversal therapies as fentanyl, a painkiller.
Not limited to Philadelphia
In 36 states and the District of Columbia, xylazine was found in the medication supply, according to a report released in June. Health officials in New York City claim that while xylazine has been discovered in 25% of medication samples, the true saturation level is undoubtedly higher. The Food and Drug Administration sent providers a four-page countrywide xylazine alert in November.
Horror story of Tracey McCann
When she was 27 years old, Tracy McCann became dependent on opioids that were administered to her following a serious car accident. Then, in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, tranq swept over Philadelphia. After using fentanyl for a prolonged period of time as a pain reliever, Tracey was accustomed to the bruises. But then things started to become nasty. She began to see that the tissue around her wounds was becoming crusty and blackened. She started losing herself because of how addicting the blend had become to her.
Now 39 years of age, she said, “I was sleeping on the sidewalks crying every night, knowing that I was better than that. Someone next to her got shot. A man tried to rape her, but she defended herself with a box cutter. On the hot summer streets, she saw people whose tranq wounds were covered with fleas and maggots.”
“I could not pull myself away from that drug,” she added. She had already made up her mind, though, and is currently in her fifth month of abstinence at an intense outpatient facility close to St. Louis. She is also in good health. She is simply proud of what she has achieved, something which was unimaginabl at one point in time.
Xylazine used as veterinary anesthetic
Xylazine was developed in 1962 as an anaesthetic for veterinary treatments. Because the medication caused respiratory depression and low blood pressure, human trials were stopped. It was probably used as a heroin replacement for addicts starting in the 2000s. According to some public health specialists, domestic xylazine bottles were either diverted from veterinary supply chains or bought online with a veterinary prescription during the pandemic. It gained gained popularity as an inexpensive and simple opioid filler.
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