SAMHSA Warns About New Illicit Drug Threat

This week, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) alerted the public to the noticeable rise of xylazine, a non-opioid agent increasingly found in combination with opioids such as fentanyl. Known by its street name, “tranq” or “tranq dope,” the drug is approved only for veterinary use; in humans, the powerful sedative, analgesic, and muscle relaxant can depress breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature to critical levels. The overdose antidote naloxone does not reverse its effects.