Federal Agency Issues ‘Public Safety Alert’ Warning on Flesh-Eating Tranquilizer

A driver is seen handing drugs over to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) official in a file photo. Patrick Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a warning Monday about a nationwide increase in fentanyl containing a tranquilizer that can lead to amputation and has caused a spike in fatal overdoses.

The agency said that it discovered fentanyl mixed with xylazine, sometimes called “tranq,” in 48 out of 50 states last year. It said that in 2022, 23 percent of fentanyl powder—itself a highly addictive substance that has caused a surge in overdoses in recent years—contained xylazine, while 7 percent of fentanyl pills contained the tranquilizer.

“Xylazine and fentanyl drug mixtures place users at a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug poisoning,” said the DEA in a “public safety alert.” “Because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse its effects. Still, experts always recommend administering naloxone if someone might be suffering a drug poisoning.”

Media reports about xylazine have said that causes its users to develop a zombie-like appearance due to its sedative effect, while it can cause necrotic skin wounds that lead to tissue death or even amputation in some cases. A warning issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that repeated exposure to the tranquilizer—which is used only for animals, not humans—can lead to severe necrotic ulcerations.

“People who inject drug mixtures containing xylazine also can develop severe wounds, including necrosis—the rotting of human tissue—that may lead to amputation,” the DEA noted Monday.

Figures released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that from August 2021 to August 2022, about 107,735 Americans died from drug overdoses. Some 66 percent of those overdoses were attributed to opioids like fentanyl, said the DEA.

“The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States,” the agency said.

The animal tranquilizer isn’t a controlled substance under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act and isn’t approved by the FDA for human use. Health officials say that it is a central nervous system depressant that can cause drowsiness, slow breathing, slower heart rate, and can bring an individual’s blood pressure down to very low levels.

Some members of Congress have signaled making xylazine a controlled substance via legislation, while the DEA has reportedly started its internal rulemaking process to consider making it a scheduled drug. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would work to curb xylazine-related drug overdoses in his state, including telling the FDA to track down major sources of xylazine.

“It’s a terrifying drug,” Schumer told local media. “These evil drug traffickers who are always figuring out ways to hurt our kids and our people have figured out that when you lace xylazine with fentanyl or heroin or some other drug, the high is even greater.”

Earlier this month, the FDA confirmed that it moved to restrict the illicit importation of the animal tranquilizer, while allowing veterinarians to continue to legitimately use it. It is often used in tandem with the dissociative anesthetic drug ketamine—also a drug that has been illegally used in clubs for decades—to sedate dogs, cats, horses, deer, and other animals.

“It has been identified as a contaminant found in combination with opioids such as illicit fentanyl and in combination with other illicit products that contain stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine,” the FDA said in a statement.

“While xylazine is not an opioid, it is dangerous because it can depress breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature to critical levels,” the agency added. “Additionally, people who inject drugs containing xylazine can develop severe skin wounds and patches of dead and rotting tissue that easily become infected and, if left untreated, may lead to amputation.”

In a recent report (pdf), the DEA said that xylazine is cheap and is used as an adulterant to increase the profit for heroin and fentanyl traffickers and dealers. A number of drug users may not be aware that the tranquilizer is being added, the DEA said, although it noted that some users will actively seek out the drug.

“A kilogram of xylazine powder can be purchased online from Chinese suppliers with common prices ranging from $6-$20 U.S. dollars per kilogram,” the report said.