NY Doctors Struggle as ‘Zombie Drug’ Spreads on Streets
Doctors in New York City Battle Flesh-Rotting “Zombie Drug” Flooding Illegal Market
Doctors in New York City are facing a daunting challenge as a cheap and dangerous horse tranquilizer, known as ”tranq,” floods the city’s illegal drug market. This flesh-rotting drug, called Xylazine, is causing havoc on the streets of New York, as well as in San Francisco and Philadelphia.
The effects of this “zombie drug” are horrifying. It causes severe skin lesions that resemble flesh being eaten away, sometimes down to the bone. Additionally, it can slow a person’s heart and breathing to the point of stopping, leaving users catatonic or dead.
What makes the situation even more alarming is that Xylazine is often mixed with other drugs like fentanyl, meth, and cocaine. This means that users are unknowingly consuming this dangerous substance, creating a potentially deadly cocktail.
The rapid spread of “tranq” in New York has left law enforcement astonished. It has become a major concern for doctors like Dr. Paolo Coppola, co-founder of Victory Recovery Partners. He describes the clinical picture as “diabolical” and much more complicated when Xylazine is involved.
One of the biggest challenges is that the emergency opioid reversal medicine, Narcan, does not work on Xylazine since it is not an opioid. This poses a significant problem for doctors trying to save lives.
Dr. Coppola explains, “When [an addict] uses a speedball of cocaine and heroin, we can deal with that no problem. You reverse the heroin so they start breathing again and you wait for the cocaine to finish up. Xylazine doesn’t work that way.”
Doctors often have to resort to using different drugs to help patients on “tranq” whose blood pressure or heart rate is dangerously low. Furthermore, addicts can unknowingly become addicted to Xylazine, and when they try to get clean, the withdrawal symptoms leave them anxious and irritable.
Dr. Steve Salvatore, co-founder and president of Victory Recovery Partners, warns that the popularity of “tranq” is on the rise due to its cheap price and prolonged high. He predicts that we will be seeing a lot more of Xylazine in the future.
The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is also alarmed by the spread of Xylazine. They have seized mixtures of Xylazine and fentanyl in 48 states. In fact, in 2022, the DEA found Xylazine in about 23% of the fentanyl powder and 7% of the fentanyl pills seized by the agency.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that from January 2019 to June 2022, the number of fentanyl-related deaths involving Xylazine spiked from about 2.9% to 10.9% in 20 states and the District of Columbia.
Although Xylazine was originally intended for animal use, it is not a controlled substance federally or in New York. However, several cities and states have taken steps to crack down on the drug.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
