Apr 19, 2023 5 min read

Xylazine, a deadly drug making its way across the country and prevalent in Philadelphia, is now showing up in Washington and Fayette counties.

“It’s here. We don’t know the prevalence, and it’s not consistent as far as where it’s popping up or where we’re seeing it, but it’s here,” said Cheryl Andrews, executive director of Washington Drug & Alcohol Commission.

Melissa Ferris, executive director of Fayette County Drug & Alcohol Commission Inc., said some drug overdoses involving xylazine have been reported in the county.

Xylazine, also known as “Tranq” or “zombie drug,” is a powerful tranquilizer used by veterinarians on large animals like horses and has made its way into street-level drugs in nearly every state.

Xylazine is a growing problem across Pennsylvania. In 2017, xylazine contributed to 90 overdose deaths, but in 2021, it contributed to 575 overdose deaths across 30 counties – an increase of over 600% in just five years. It’s also becoming increasingly prevalent in Philadelphia. In 2021, the city of Philadelphia reported that 90% of street opioid samples contained xylazine, according to a news release from the administration of Gov. Josh Shapiro.

On Tuesday, Shapiro announced his administration is taking action to limit access to xylazine.

Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen has submitted a notice of intent to temporarily add xylazine to the list of schedule III drugs under Pennsylvania’s Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act.

Shapiro said xylazine is “compounding our fight against the opioid crisis.”

“Today, my administration is taking action to keep it out of our communities and protect Pennsylvanians. The steps we are taking today will help ensure this dangerous drug can’t be diverted from legitimate sources to the drug dealers harming our communities, while preserving its important use on animals,” said Shapiro. “Xylazine has a real purpose for veterinarians, but is being abused by drug dealers and harming those suffering from substance use disorder. My administration is committed to helping Pennsylvanians get the treatment they need, and we will work with our partners in law enforcement to get these drugs out of our communities and bring the drug dealers poisoning our communities to justice.”

Earlier this month, the Office of National Drug Control Policy named xylazine an “emerging threat to the U.S.,” noting its growing role in overdose deaths in every region of the country.

In March, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued an alert about the widespread threat of xylazine mixed with fentanyl and other illicit street drugs.

“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” DEA Administrator Ann Milgram said in the alert, adding that the DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 out of 50 states.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 107,735 Americans died from drug poisonings between August 2021 and August 2022, with 61% of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

In 2022, about 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine, Milgram said.

In February, the Food and Drug Administration said it would restrict imports of the sedative.

Xylazine, a non-opioid, is FDA-approved for use in animals as a sedative and pain killer. It can depress breathing, blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature to critical levels, the FDA said. Withdrawal is also painful.

Xylazine use also may result in skin ulcers with open wounds that excrete pus and lead to necrosis – the rotting of human tissue – that can result in amputation.

It can be injected, snorted, swallowed, or inhaled.

Because xylazine is not an opioid, the overdose reversal drug naloxone – commonly sold as Narcan – can’t reverse its effects.

Andrews and other experts still recommend administering naloxone if someone is experiencing an overdose in order to counteract the opioid. But the person might remain unconscious because xylazine can knock a person out for several hours, so it’s recommended to perform rescue breathing until emergency medical services arrive.

People exposed to xylazine often knowingly or unknowingly use it in combination with other drugs, particularly fentanyl. Tranq is used to extend the opioid’s euphoric effects.

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.

Andrews said the county, through the Opioid Overdose Coalition, “has been getting educated on the xylazine issue and is developing a strategic plan on how to address this.”

Said Andrews, “There is no safe use. (Xylazine) can be in any drug supply. It’s serious business and people need to understand that this could be their last use.”

The Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission’s Ferris said the organization is working to raise awareness about xylazine in the county.

“It’s concerning when there are new substances that come into our county, and we try to get the information to the community,” said Ferris. “We have shared information with all of our providers and to community groups, and we’re trying to get the word out to the community.”