The ‘Deadliest Drug’ In America Explained: How Xylazine—An Animal Tranquilizer—Is Getting Mixed With Fentanyl

Topline

Xylazine-laced fentanyl has been found in 48 states, creating what experts call the “deadliest drug” in the U.S., which results in side effects like necrosis, amnesia, blurred vision and death.

Key Facts

News Peg

On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced increased efforts to prevent fentanyl smuggling across the country’s southern border. The program, called “Operation Blue Lotus,” began on March 13 and will use measures like drug-sniffing dogs, a higher number of targeted inspections and cutting-edge technology to combat drug trafficking. In the first week of its launch, the program seized over 900 pounds of fentanyl and led to 18 arrests.

Crucial Quote

“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in the alert.

Surprising Fact

Xylazine is most prominent in Philadelphia, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, told CNN. Xylazine has been a part of Puerto Rico’s illegal opioid scene since the early 2000s and made its way to Philadelphia shortly after. It first showed up in Philadelphia’s toxicology reports in 2006, and was found in over 90% of drug samples tested in the city in 2021, according to Substance Use Philly.

Bigger Number

107,000. That’s how many Americans died from drug overdoses in 2022, with fentanyl-laced drugs making up about 66.5% of those deaths, the CDC states.

Dangers Of Xylazine

A study published in Science Direct found that people use xylazine-laced fentanyl to lengthen their high and enhance the drug’s euphoric effect. In the illicit drug supply, it appears as a white or brown powder, but because it’s frequently mixed with other drugs, it can be difficult to identify by appearance, the New York State Department of Health states. It’s typically taken orally, intravenously, intranasally or intramuscularly. The drug’s effects set in within minutes and can last eight hours or longer depending on dosage and route taken, the NYSDOH says. Repeated use is associated with abscesses, ulcers and other related complications, research found. Common side effects include hypotension, blurred vision, high blood sugar, impaired judgment, coma, slurred speech, disorientation, drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, sedation, respiratory depression and slow heart rate. Continued use can cause necrosis (the rotting of human skin), which can lead to amputation. Because xylazine is frequently mixed with opioids, the NIDA states that opioid overdose reversal medication naloxone should be used during a suspected xylazine overdose. However, because xylazine isn’t an opioid, naloxone may not reverse the effects of the drug. Because of this, some experts are afraid the increased presence of xylazine in the illegal drug supply may weaken naloxone’s effectiveness.

Further Reading

Feds Seize More Than 900 Pounds Of Fentanyl In Anti-Smuggling Operation (Forbes)

What to know about xylazine, the drug authorities are calling a public safety threat (NPR)

DEA issues alert about widespread threat of xylazine (CNN)