'Zombie' drug tranq, which causes skin ulcers and can lead to limb amputations, found in THC vapes in UK
10 April 2024, 06:01
A dangerous drug that is plaguing cities in the US has "penetrated" the UK's market for illegal substances.
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Animal tranquiliser xylazine, also known as tranq, has been found in the UK in counterfeit prescription drugs, cocaine, THC vapes, as well as in strong opioids like heroin.
The drug can cause unpleasant skin ulcers, and block airways - and repeated abuse can mean users' limbs have to be amputated.
At least one man in the UK has died after taking it - a 43-year-old in Solihull in 2022, and the drug may be linked to more deaths in the country.
Tranq has proved a significant problem for US authorities and labelled "an emerging threat to the nation" in the US.
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Researchers said that this "public health threat has now expanded to the United Kingdom".
Their study examined various toxicology, drug testing and drug seizure sources and found 35 cases of xylazine across England, Scotland and Wales by the end of August last year. No cases were found in Northern Ireland.
They published data on 16 biological samples taken from toxicology labs, where the drug was found in 16 people - including 11 people who had died. Some 11 of these samples were from summer last year.
Senior author Dr Caroline Copeland, from King's College London, 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.
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"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.
"There are three simple measures the UK can introduce to prevent the epidemic of xylazine use that has emerged in the USA. Cheap xylazine test strips should be made available, healthcare providers need to be aware of the signs that chronic skin ulcers are due to xylazine use, and pathologists and coroners should specifically request toxicology testing for xylazine in relevant cases to understand the true prevalence of the drug."
A government spokesperson said: "We are aware of the threat from xylazine and are determined to protect people from the threat posed by this drug and other illicit synthetic drugs.
"We will not hesitate to act to keep the public safe. Following advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), we intend to make xylazine a Class C drug meaning anyone supplying this substance will face up to 14 years in prison, a fine or both."
