There is a growing concern and interest around the drug known as Xylazine or ‘Tranq’ as it’s come to be known from its street drug name. Long Island Center for Recovery is here to help you better understand Xylazine and provide answers to your most sought after questions such as the following; What is Xylazine? Why is Xylazine so dangerous? And what you can do to best protect yourself from this harmful and addictive substance.
Simply put, Xylazine is a tranquilizer, pain reliever, and central nervous system depressant approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a veterinary medicine only. Xylazine was never intended for human use and is only recently being examined for its effects on humans by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) research team. However, thus far the visible and studied effects are that Xylazine can make people drowsy and cause breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure to slow to dangerously low levels. Despite these threatening effects, Xylazine, as a veterinary tranquilizer does not have a high likelihood of overdose or death, but unfortunately the growing trend as an addictive substance is not abuse of Xylazine alone.
The unfortunate trend with Xylazine is that this has become one of the most often illicit drugs readily combined with fentanyl and other opioids. Once combined with these other dangerous substances, Xylazine quickly becomes an extremely lethal combination that is dangerous for anyone who uses or abuses its contents. In a recent 2022 public safety report, The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reported that Xylazine and fentanyl mixtures had been seized in 48 out of the 50 States, with 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA containing Xylazine. The added danger that comes with Xylazine being mixed with fentanyl and other opioids, the recommended overdose reversal medication such as naloxone will not reverse or counter the effect of the Xylazine itself, and will only address the overdose relating to the fentanyl and/or opioids themselves. This is still the recommended approach for anyone experiencing opioid symptoms, and Long Island Center for Recovery supports having an emergency fentanyl plan in case you or someone you love is potentially in danger, and experience an overdose from opioids, either while combined with Xylazine or not.
The unfortunate truth ensuring safety in regards to Xylazine or any other illicit substance for that matter, is that the only way to remain truly safe is to abstain from using and/or seeking out the use of Xylazine or Xylazine in combination with fentanyl and other opioids.
As an inpatient addiction treatment facility in Long Island, NY LICR and our staff understands the struggle of abstaining from addictive substances. Our founder, Jack Hamilton, overcame his own battle with addiction, and knew from experience that journey to sobriety can be up down, but everyone deserves that chance, and everyone is capable of change.
We hope you now have a better understanding of what Xylazine is and why it can be so dangerous for individuals engaging with such a substance. If you or a loved one needs any additional assistance with addiction treatment services for an addiction to Xylazine or any other addiction to drugs or alcohol, please reach out to Long Island Center for Recovery at 1-800-344-5427, and we’d be happy to assist you or your loved ones in any way possible.
References:
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Xylazine
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/xylazine
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration: DEA Reports Widespread Threat of Fentanyl Mixed with Xylazine
https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-reports-widespread-threat-fentanyl-mixed-xylazine
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