The animal sedative xylazine has become an increasingly common cutting agentNearly half of America's street drugs are laced with a dangerous animal tranquilizer, a study suggests. Despite none of the drugs being sold as xylazine, forty contained the animal tranquilizer — mostly fentanyl. The FDA has warned healthcare workers it can be 'difficult to distinguish' a xylazine overdose from opioid overdose — both drugs cause the lungs to start failing. Sold under the brand name Rompun in the US, it first rose in popularity in Puerto Rico in the 2000s where it is known as 'anestecia de caballo'. In 2017 it was detected in 10 percent of overdose deaths with fentanyl and/or heroin, 18 percent in 2018, and 31 percent in 2019.

Source: The Star December 23, 2022 02:30 UTC