US zombie drug.. it's ALREADY HERE

Flesh-rotting tranq has claimed first life in UK as fears of an epidemic rise

- MARTIN BAGOT

FLESH-EATING zombie drug tranq has made its way on to Britain’s streets, sparking fears of a “public health threat” like that in the US.

Xylazine, an animal tranquilliser, has become a deadly recreational drug sweeping the US.

The drug, known as tranq, leaves addicts painfully contorted, like living zombies, on the streets of the US.

It can also cause flesh-rotting skin sores and lead to suffocation.

Xylazine has been blamed for one death in the UK and may have contributed to several more.

In most cases the drug is mixed with strong opioids, such as heroin, but a study also discovered it in counterfeit prescription medication, cannabis vapes and cocaine.

The study, in the journal Addiction, warns of side-effects including airway compromise, and ulcers which can lead to amputation.

Researchers at King’s College London said xylazine was a major concern in the US and this “public health threat has now expanded to the United Kingdom”.

Senior author Dr Caroline Copeland said: “We now know xylazine has penetrated the UK’s illicit drug market.

“This is cause for alarm as a much wider population of people who use drugs beyond heroin users will be exposed to its harms.

“We also know that most people who buy heroin will not intend to buy xylazine and this combination increases the risk of overdose.”

The drug was first found in the UK when toxicologists at the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths noticed a “strange peak” in test results, which was later identified as xylazine.