The Food and Drug Administration just launched the first federal action to combat the spread of tranq dope, a new combination drug linked to skin wounds and amputations.The FDA issued an “import alert” Tuesday about the animal tranquilizer xylazine, which is being combined with opioids like fentanyl to make tranq dope. The notice allows agents to seize shipments of xylazine and “unapproved finished drug products” containing it without needing to physically examine the shipments. Xylazine, a tranquilizer used on large animals, is not approved for human consumption in the U.S. but so far, tranq dope has spread to at least 39 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. Xylazine is typically sold as a liquid when used for veterinary purposes. However, as VICE News reported last March, hundreds of online vendors are selling powder forms of xylazine. One China-based seller told VICE News that xylazine had become a “hot” product among Americans in 2021. A report from the Drug Enforcement Administration from October found that a kilogram of xylazine powder can be bought from Chinese suppliers from $6-$20 per kilogram. “At this low price, its use as an adulterant may increase the profit for illicit drug traffickers, as its psychoactive effects allows them to reduce the amount of fentanyl or heroin used in a mixture,” the report said. The FDA said it will be scrutinizing incoming xylazine shipments to make sure they are “properly labeled, not adulterated, and for legitimate veterinary use.” “People who inject drugs containing xylazine can develop severe skin wounds and patches of dead and rotting tissue that easily become infected and, if left untreated, may lead to amputation,” the agency said. In addition to the wounds, another major concern with tranq dope is that xylazine is not responsive to naloxone—the medication used to reverse opioid overdoses—because it is not an opioid. People who are having a suspected overdose should still be given naloxone to counter any opioids they may have taken, but they may be sedated for longer if they’ve consumed tranq. There is no detox protocol for people who want to stop using tranq, meaning the withdrawal can be excruciating. As VICE News reported in November, many rehab facilities don’t test for it. San Francisco’s chief medical examiner’s office recently started testing people who’ve died of overdoses for xylazine and found it present in four deaths. In January, a group of House Republicans wrote a letter to the DEA and Customs and Border Protection calling for xylazine to be scheduled. However, experts have told VICE News that other more potent drugs could fill the vacuum created by a ban. The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) also discussed xylazine at a meeting about emerging threats in January. Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter. Want the best of VICE News straight to your inbox? Sign up here.
Advertisement
Advertisement