Yasmina Kattou / Photo credit: ALEX WONG / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
For the first time in US history, a new drug has been designated an “emerging threat”. A designation which should make it possible to release funds to fight against this substance called xylazine. Europe 1 takes stock of what we know about this substance.
It’s a new drug that is wreaking havoc in the United States: xylazine. Designated as an “emerging threat” for the first time in the country’s history, the American government now has three months to present an action plan to combat this substance.
A sedative used for animals
Xylazine has been used by veterinarians as a sedative and pain reliever for over 50 years in the United States. But this tranquilizer has been diverted from its use for 20 years to become the “tranq drug”, the “quiet drug”.
100 times stronger than morphine, it lowers blood pressure, respiration and heart rate. It is also called the “zombie drug” because of the gaping wounds it causes on the skin. Wounds that can lead to amputation.
Consumption jumped 200% between 2020 and 2021
The substance is appreciated by consumers for its cost: barely six euros per kilo. In the south of the country, its consumption has almost jumped by 200% between 2020 and 2021. The American authorities are worried since there is no antidote to resuscitate a person who has overdosed on xylazine.