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Xylazine 

Xylazine is a powerful veterinary sedative (a tranquilizer used by vets on animals) that is not approved for people. Lately it’s been turning up mixed into street opioids (like fentanyl) and other illegal drugs. Because it’s not an opioid, its effects aren’t fully reversed by naloxone — so overdoses become harder to treat if xylazine is present.

What it does on the street: it knocks people way down — heavy sleepiness, very slow breathing, low blood pressure, and extreme sedation. Injected repeatedly or in contaminated supplies, it’s also been linked to severe skin wounds and ulcers where people inject; those wounds can get infected, rot, and sometimes lead to amputations.

Street names you might hear: “tranq,” “tranq dope,” “sleep-cut,” “sleepy,” or just “horse tranquilizer.” People also call it “tranq-cut fentanyl” when it’s mixed with fentanyl. Sellers may not always tell users it’s in the supply.

Quick harm-reduction points (basic, practical): if someone looks very sedated or is breathing slowly, call emergency services right away and give naloxone if an opioid is suspected — naloxone can still help with any opioid present, but it won’t reverse xylazine’s sedative effects. Treat serious injection wounds quickly — get medical care early. If you or your community does drug-checking, test strips and local harm-reduction services can sometimes help detect adulterants or at least warn people about unusually dangerous batches.

Source: U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).