The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has warned Americans about the dangers of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer. According to RBC, this was reported on the agency’s website.
Xylazine is a powerful sedative drug known as “trank”. Its use is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in veterinary medicine.
As noted by the DEA, xylazine is “the deadliest drug threat” the United States has ever faced, and together with fentanyl, “even deadlier.”
The DEA has already seized mixtures in 48 of the 50 states. In 2022, approximately 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl tablets seized by the DEA contained xylazine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from August 2021 to August 2022, 107,735 Americans died from drug poisoning, 66% of these deaths were associated with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
The DEA blamed the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels in Mexico, which use chemicals sourced primarily from China, for the distribution of the drug in the country.
Xylazine has been called the “zombie drug” because of its sedative effects. It enhances the effect of other drugs. The drug causes respiratory and heart rhythm disturbances, as well as vasoconstriction and impaired oxygenation of the skin, which leads to non-healing wounds.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
