Xylazine: What you need to know about the dangerous illegal drug

Jim Abbott, Daytona Beach News-Journal
·3 min read
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A veterinary tranquilizer called xylazine is increasingly being found in the United States’ illegal drug supply and is being linked to overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

In Volusia County, the drug was among those listed in court documents during the recent sentencing of a Daytona Beach man on drug trafficking charges. It also has been present in the toxicology reports of a small percentage of drug-related deaths this year in Volusia County, according to the county Medical Examiner’s office.

In the drug-trafficking case, jurors found 33-year-old Carlos L. Barada guilty of armed trafficking in fentanyl of 28 grams or greater; armed trafficking in methamphetamine of 28 grams or more but less than 200 grams; resisting an officer without violence; possession of paraphernalia; and carrying a concealed firearm.

A doctor in Delaware treats a xylazine wound on a woman's leg. Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that is illegal for use on humans, is being mixed with fentanyl by drug dealers. It causes horrific wounds on users' bodies.
A doctor in Delaware treats a xylazine wound on a woman's leg. Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that is illegal for use on humans, is being mixed with fentanyl by drug dealers. It causes horrific wounds on users' bodies.

He was sentenced to life in prison on each of the two drug-trafficking charges.

In running from police before his arrest on Nov. 16, 2022, Barada threw a bag of drugs onto the roof of a house, according to Assistant State Attorney Ashley Terwilleger. It turns out the bag included two separate bags of drugs: one with 163 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and xylazine and one with 189 grams of methamphetamine.

While fentanyl and methamphetamine are familiar names, xylazine is generally less well known.

Not approved for human use, xylazine can be fatal

Xylazine — an animal tranquilizer not approved for use in humans — can be life-threatening and is especially dangerous when combined with opioids like fentanyl, according to the CDC.

Due to its impact on the opioid crisis, fentanyl mixed with xylazine has been declared an emerging threat by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. In July, the White House released a National Response Plan to address the emerging threat of fentanyl mixed with xylazine.

The plan involves steps that include testing, data collection, evidence-based prevention, harm reduction and treatment as well as research, according to the announcement. It calls for an implementation report to be submitted to the White House in 60 days.

What are the symptoms and health risks of xylazine?

When used by humans, xylazine’s disturbing side effects include the potential to cause skin ulcers, abscesses and related complications.

Xylazine test strips can be used to test for the presence of the drug in fentanyl.
Xylazine test strips can be used to test for the presence of the drug in fentanyl.

It also can cause the following symptoms:

  • sedation

  • difficulty breathing

  • dangerously low blood pressure

  • slowed heart rate

  • wounds that can become infected

  • severe withdrawal symptoms

  • death

How are people exposed to xylazine?

Illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin and fentanyl can be mixed with xylazine, either to enhance drug effects or increase street value by increasing their weight.

Those illegally using drugs may not be aware of the presence of xylazine.

DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 states and the DEA laboratory system reported that roughly 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA in 2022 contained xylazine. Xylazine is usually injected, although it can be swallowed or sniffed.

Is xylazine use happening in Volusia County?

Xylazine, commonly called “tranq,” was found in the system of more than 220 people who fatally overdosed in Volusia County since the beginning of 2022, said Karen Chrapek, executive director of Volusia Recovery Alliance, at a July town hall on opioid addiction in Deltona.

In 2023, xylazine was present in the toxicology results of 8 out of 170 confirmed drug-related deaths in Volusia County, according to the county Medical Examiner’s office.

Should naloxone be given for xylazine overdose?

Naloxone should be given in response to any suspected drug overdose to reverse any possible opioid effects, according to the CDC.

Naloxone will not reverse the effects of xylazine. However, because xylazine is often used with opioids like fentanyl, naloxone should still be administered. It’s important to call 911 for additional medical treatment, especially since the effects of xylazine may continue after naloxone is given.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Xylazine is increasingly finding its way into U.S. illegal drug trade