What is Xylazine?
Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative, painkiller and muscle relaxant used in veterinary medicine. It is a tranquiliser approved for use with animals but not for human use. The terms “tranq” or “tranq dope” can be used when xylazine is combined with heroin and fentanyl.
How is Xylazine used?
In most cases xylazine is mixed with strong opioids, such as heroin or fentanyl, and is smoked, snorted, injected, swallowed or inhaled. Xylazine has also been detected in cocaine, counterfeit codeine and diazepam (Valium) tablets and even in THC vapes (see WEDINOS and search by keyword ‘xylazine’).
Effects and risks
When combined with heroin and fentanyl, xylazine is thought to boost and/or extend the effects of these drugs.
Xylazine can dangerously lower breathing and heart rate. Symptoms of overdoses involving xylazine include hypotension, bradycardia and other cardiovascular effects, hyperglycaemia, miosis, central nervous system (CNS) depression and respiratory depression
If injected, large open skin ulcers and abscesses can form. These can become widespread across the arms and legs and result in tissue death with longer term use.
Deaths
There have been 11 deaths in the UK linked to xylazine, the first was in May 2022. In 9 out of the 11 deaths xylazine was found in combination with a strong opioid. (The first drug-related death associated with xylazine use in the UK and Europe).
Because xylazine is frequently combined with opioids, in the event of an overdose it is recommended to administer naloxone, a medicine which is used to reverse the effects of an overdose caused by opiates and opioids. However, because xylazine is not itself an opioid, naloxone is not effective against the sedative effects of this drug.
Production and supply
Xylazine was originally thought to be entering the drug market supply by misdirection of legitimate veterinary sources. But now it’s thought that xylazine may be added to low purity fentanyl in North America.
There has been a 95% reduction in the areas cultivating opium poppies between 2022 and 2023 after the prohibition of cultivation of opium poppies and narcotics in Afghanistan by the Taliban in April 2022. This resulted in a 95% decline in both the opium harvested and export heroin produced. With the reduction in availability of heroin from Afghanistan, there is concern that the European and UK illicit opioid markets may shift to illicitly synthesised fentanyl which in turn could be associated with increased risk of xylazine in the UK illicit opioid market (A review of the evidence on the use and harms of xylazine, gov.uk).
Legal status
In the UK, xylazine is a veterinary medicine licensed for use as a sedative, muscle relaxant and analgesic in animals, it is not approved for use in humans. Xylazine is not currently controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 but is likely to be subject to the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act (PSA) because of its psychoactive effect.
Prevalence
There is no data on the prevalence of xylazine in the UK.
Updated April 2024