Tranq dope: Deadly flesh-eating ‘zombie’ drug already linked to 11 UK deaths
by Amy-Clare Martin
Apr 10, 2024
3 minutes
A deadly flesh-eating drug driving a health crisis in the US has infiltrated the UK drugs market and has already been linked to at least 11 deaths, research has found.
Xylazine – a type of animal tranquilliser which has been classed as an “emerging threat” by the White House – causes painful necrotic sores which can lead to amputations and its use can lead to lethal overdose.
In America, it is most frequently used in combination with fentanyl to help better recreate the long-lasting highs experienced by heroin users.
But now it has from Solihull, West Midlands, in May 2022. His case was the first death outside North America and the first in the UK to be linked to xylazine use.
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