The rise of “tranq dope” is exacerbating America’s opioid crisis
During the early 2010s, a horrifying new drug emerged in Russia and Eastern Europe. Known as Krokodil, this inexpensive heroin substitute, concocted in makeshift labs, caused users to develop scaly skin and festering wounds. Now, a disturbingly similar drug called “tranq dope” has infiltrated the United States. Last month, the White House released a national plan to combat its spread.
Tranq dope is a combination of fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, and xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer. The addition of xylazine to the opioid appears to prolong the high. Between January 2019 and June 2022, the percentage of fentanyl-related overdose deaths involving xylazine increased from 3% to 11%.
Authorities first detected this cocktail in the early 2000s in Puerto Rico. It later circulated there and in limited areas of the northeastern United States, such as Philadelphia. However, it has now been identified in nearly every state across the country and is likely being mixed “at the retail level” (i.e., on the streets), according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
2023-08-24 07:47:07
Post from www.economist.com
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