A powerful ‘zombie’ drug used as an animal tranquilliser has now been linked to eleven deaths in the UK, a study has found.
Xylazine, also called ‘tranq dope’ when cut with heroin or fentanyl, is now “widespread” in the UK illegal drugs market, researchers at King’s College London said on Wednesday.
The National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths based at the university reported on the first UK death linked to the drug - a 43-year-old man from Solihull in May 2022.
But after contacting all toxicology laboratories in the UK to collate evidence of xylazine detections, they discovered the non-opioid sedative was now linked to eleven UK deaths.
The drug was found in sixteen drug samples across the country, eleven of which dated from summer 2023.
Senior author on the study, Dr Caroline Copeland, said: “We now know that xylazine has penetrated the UK’s illicit drug market.
“This is cause for alarm as a much wider population of people who use drugs beyond heroin users will be exposed to its harms.
“We also know that most people who buy heroin will not intend to buy xylazine and this combination increases the risk of overdose.
“Xylazine was designated an ‘emerging threat’ to the United States and this public health threat is a growing concern for the UK.”
In the US, in most cases xylazine is mixed with strong opioids, such as heroin or fentanyl.
However, xylazine has also been detected alongside stimulant drugs such as cocaine, and found in items sold as counterfeit codeine and diazepam.
The drug can dangerously lower breathing and heart rate and if injected directly into the user’s bloodstream can cause large open skin ulcers to form.
Dr Copeland called for test strips to be made available and for healthcare providers to be made more aware of the warning signs of xylazine use.
Co-author Dr Adam Holland said the increased prevalence of the drug was “extremely concerning”.
“As levels of adulteration increase and drug-related deaths mount it becomes even more clear that our punitive drug laws are not reducing harm,” he said.
“We need to expand the range of harm reduction interventions available for people who use drugs, including drug checking and overdose prevention centres, to give them the opportunities they need to stay safe.”
