An opioid overdose requires immediate medical attention. Call 911 immediately if you or someone you know exhibits any of the symptoms.
Source: DEA
A recent addition to the growing list of addictive drug concerns is tranq (“trank”), street slang for xylazine. Intended for use as a horse tranquilizer meant to sedate injured animals for surgery, tranq is a depressant, with effects similar to fentanyl and heroin, but reportedly offering users a longer-lasting high. This makes tranq incredibly habit-forming, even as it destroys tissue around the injection site – a condition known as necrosis – producing horrific and gruesome results. Because tranq is not an opioid, naloxone will not reverse its effects.
According to the Drug Enforcement Association, xylazine-related overdoses in the Midwest increased fivefold over one year – from 57 in 2020 to 351 in 2021. What’s more, the DEA believes that number is significantly undercounted. Tranq is a serious threat, and one that unfortunately continues to grow.
Just like tranq, there are plenty of other legitimate medicines being seriously misused.
