Amid the ongoing opioid epidemic that is currently ravaging the Mountain State, West Virginia is now grappling with a new and dangerous drug in the supply chain: xylazine, a non-opioid animal sedative otherwise known as “tranq dope” or the “zombie drug.”
Xylazine, commonly used by veterinarians to sedate large animals, has found its way into drug mixtures, particularly with the potent opioid fentanyl, creating a lethal combination that has devastating consequences for users. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), xylazine is now present in one out of every nine overdose deaths nationwide involving illicit fentanyl.
However, the impact is even more pronounced in West Virginia, the epicenter of the American opioid crisis, which has the highest drug overdose death rate in the nation. According to a study conducted by the University of West Virginia, xylazine appears in at least half of the needles in the city of Wheeling and between 15% and 20% of needles statewide.
As for why xylazine is so popular in the opioid market, fentanyl expert Dr. Ayesha Appa with the University of California, San Francisco, believes it is mainly due to its economic advantages.
“This is one of the challenges of our unregulated drug supply,” she told NBC News. “I imagine cost/availability is one of the factors, but [I’m] not sure. I will say from my work clinically that many patients do not necessarily want to consume the xylazine, it is just what is in a shifting supply.”
Dr. Steven Corder, who treats individuals addicted to fentanyl in Wheeling, discussed the drug’s severe effects.
“Opioid withdrawal is hard enough, but the withdrawal from xylazine couldn’t touch the usual tools we use,” Corder said.
Xylazine is known for causing deep flesh wounds that can lead to amputations, adding another layer of danger to an already precarious situation.
Laura Weigel, who runs a treatment center, recounted a harrowing case of a patient who underwent limb amputation due to xylazine.
“We are not being able to do anything fast enough to get ahead of it,” Weigel lamented.
Users like Brooke, a homeless fentanyl user in Wheeling, shared their struggles, mentioning that xylazine intensifies the fentanyl high and induces severe withdrawal symptoms. Shockingly, she revealed that even the overdose reversal drug Narcan is ineffective against xylazine.
The drug’s emergence in the U.S. started in Puerto Rico, spreading to Philadelphia and Connecticut before becoming a nationwide issue. While law enforcement agencies have taken steps to curb its import, the drug remains easily accessible from overseas pharmacies. An NBC News investigation found that multiple suppliers in India were willing to ship xylazine without a prescription.
Efforts to address the xylazine epidemic include a bipartisan push in Congress to schedule xylazine, officially designating it as a drug with potential for abuse.
Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto was optimistic about the impact of legislation to limit the spread of the drug.
“We have seen already what xylazine can do when it is diverted for illicit purposes, and it is incredibly destructive,” Cortez Masto said. “What I know from law enforcement in Nevada and really at a national level is that their hands are tied because it’s not scheduled.”
The goal is to enhance tracking, curb diversion and strengthen enforcement against misuse. However, despite the support of 30 senators and 39 state attorneys general, the bill has yet to pass the House or Senate.
West Virginia, already grappling with the highest drug overdose death rate in the country, faces a critical juncture in combating the emerging threat.
