Animal tranquilizer found in 90%+ of Philly drug supply, ‘Tranq’ is eating users’ skin leading to amputations
Animal tranquilizer found in 90%+ of Philly drug supply, ‘Tranq’ is eating users’ skin leading to amputations
Xylazine is authorized only for veterinary use, but it is widely available on the streets
Animal sedative laced with fentanyl hits Philadelphia
Alexis McAdams explains how Philadelphia is suffering from a severe addiction problem to tranquilizer mixed with fentanyl on ‘America’s Newsroom.’
PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood is known as an open air drug market.
“It is the biggest open air drug market on the East Coast. You literally can just walk up on a block and cop whatever substance you like,” said James Sherman a former user who is now focused on street outreach with the nonprofit Savage Sisters Recovery.
Now, the area in North Philadelphia is at the center of the Tranq epidemic, hit hard by the emerging misuse of the animal tranquilizer Xylazine. The drug is leaving hundreds of users in Philadelphia with gruesome wounds that could lead to amputations.
“I might even lose my legs. It has been going on for over a year now,” said user Gene.
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North Philadelphia is at the center of the Tranq epidemic, hit hard by the emerging misuse of the animal tranquilizer Xylazine. (Fox News)
Many users like Gene try to avoid going in for treatment because they say the withdrawal kicks in within just a few hours and is very intense.
“I am pretty much so scared of the withdrawal and the pain. It’s like ten times as bad as a fever, and it is all at one time. You’re vomiting. I mean, you get diarrhea. It is like an earthquake. I mean. It’s bad,” says Gene.
Xylazine is a non-opiate sedative, analgesic and muscle relaxant only authorized in the United States for veterinary use according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But, the drug is widely available on the streets.
“It used to be that you could go to this block for Tranq and this block for Fentanyl. That is just not the case anymore. It’s like completely taken over the supply,” said Sherman.
“So what is it about Tranq that that makes people go back to get a high if your legs and arms and fingers have to be amputated?” Fox News asked.
“Being chemically dependent, you don’t have a choice,” said Sherman.
Kensington is only a few miles away from downtown Philadelphia. Once you enter the area you see people shooting up and dealing on every corner.
Sarah Laurel started Savage Sisters Recovery, the Philadelphia nonprofit is a small but committed team focused on helping people recover from substance abuse disorders through street outreach.
She is on the front line of what her team calls a public health care crisis.
“It’s very
