Tranq is making its way west
By Terry Murry on Thursday, March 9th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WASHINGTON, District of Columbia — Xylazine is changing the face of drug addiction on the East Coast and reports indicate it’s spreading west. Also called tranq, the large-animal sedative is not approved for humans and has caused people to develop large, open, infected wounds that refuse to heal.
Pendleton Police Chief Chuck Byram said if tranq comes this way, he’ll get the first word from the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team.
“If they notice it out there, they’re going to let everybody know about it,” he said. “If it’s something like that, they are masking up, gloving up, and doing what they need to do in order to stay safe and keep the community safe.”
According to national media reports the problem with tranq is that buyers don’t know if it’s in the drugs they purchase. Fentanyl, which is often used as a replacement for heroin, doesn’t last as long in the system, so manufacturers added the xylazine to prolong the high. Now, it is reported that nine out of every 10 lab-tested samples of narcotics tested in Philadelphia contain tranq.
Naloxone will not work to treat a person who has overdosed on xylazine. Philadelphia has been particularly hard hit, and workers for drug abuse facilities carry Narcan for fentanyl and oxygen tanks for tranq.
In addition, the medicines that help people withdraw from drugs do not help those who are withdrawing from tranq. For more information: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/Xylazine.pdf
