NEW YORK, NY – According to a report by the New York Post, a drug known as “Tranq,” which contains xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, has arrived in New York City from the West Coast. The drug is being transported via trucks and is subsequently mixed with other substances like fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine within the city.
Xylazine, commonly referred to as “Tranq,” has been linked to severe health risks, including skin lesions and tissue necrosis.
It is reportedly involved in approximately 20% of overdose deaths in New York City. The drug has previously affected cities on the West Coast, leading California Governor Gavin Newsom to modify his counter-narcotics policies, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Deaths resulting from fentanyl laced with xylazine have risen from 2.9% of all fatal overdoses in January 2019 to 10.9% in June 2022, according to the Chronicle.
Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, expressed concerns about the potential challenges faced by the city’s “safe injection” centers in dealing with the adverse effects of “tranq,” which cannot be treated with naloxone. Felbab-Brown suggested that implementing methadone maintenance programs or even heroin maintenance programs would be more effective in reducing overdose risks and the necrotic effects associated with the drug.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that over 100,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in 2021. Additionally, it is reported that one kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to cause fatalities for up to half a million individuals, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.