A FLESH-ROTTING “zombie drug” has killed 11 Brits and more will die as the evil substance sweeps across the UK, experts warn.
Xylazine – also known as Tranq – has been labelled an “emerging threat” in the US and has been found in counterfeit painkillers and vapes in this country, a study shows.
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The “zombie” drug – which can leave users lifeless – was found in the blood of 11 Brits who died in 2023, it added.
It has already turned US cities like New York and Philadelphia into “zombielands”, according to reports.
There is no approved antidote for Tranq overdoses.
Dr Caroline Copeland, of King’s College London, said: “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.
“Xylazine was designated an ‘emerging threat’ to the United States and this public health threat is a growing concern for the UK.”
Xylazine is a horse tranquilliser that can cause skin and tissue necrosis and is easy to overdose on.
Britain recorded its first xylazine-related death in 2022, when Karl Warburton, 43, from Solihull, West Midlands, was found to have taken the drug.
The Sun last year revealed vapes contaminated with the drug had been found in Britain.
Residents of Solihull, near Birmingham, told us the drug that killed Karl is becoming more prominent.
Ian McLeod, 74, who has advised the Home Office and West Midlands Police on drug-related matters, has seen everything firsthand.
“Xylazine is the one that is on the market at the moment. There are lots of strange drugs being added.
“They are using the wrong ingredients and bulking the proper stuff up with rubbish that is causing the problem of the increase in overdoses.
“It is all about making more profit for the big dealers and they do not care about human life.”
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Meanwhile, a dad, also from Solihull, whose legs are wrapped in bandages to cover horror wounds opened up about taking the drug.
Craig Bignall is a father-of-two and a former roofer – said he and other users are careful to avoid the new drug, but it has become inevitable.
He told The Sun: “I am worried sick by what they are mixing with it.
“There’s a good chance I have had it (xylazine) because I have had that much stuff and now I have ulcers in my legs.”
The study, published in Addiction, looked at data from toxicology labs across Britain, finding the substance was present in 16 people’s blood, 11 of which died last summer.
It was found in counterfeit codeine and diazepam — also known as Valium — pills, THC vapes and in stimulant drugs such as cocaine and hard opioids like heroin and fentanyl.
Dealers use it as a cutting agent to make their product even more potent and help stretch supplies.
Tranq is cheaper than many other illicit substances, costing as little as £5 per kg.
Researchers warn the recorded number of Tranq-related deaths in the UK is likely to be a “gross underestimation” as labs here don’t routinely test for the drug.
The study warned: “If the UK were to experience the 20-fold increase in deaths seen in the US since 2015, deaths following xylazine use could be anticipated to exceed 220 deaths by 2028.”
Dr Copeland said: “There are three simple measures the UK can introduce to prevent the epidemic of xylazine use that has emerged in the USA.
What is the ‘zombie drug’ xylzaine?
King’s College London says xylazine is a non-opioid sedative, painkiller and muscle relaxant used in veterinary medicine as a tranquiliser for large animals.
The drug – known as ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’ when cut with heroin and fentanyl – is causing widespread problems in North America, as it can dangerously lower breathing and heart rate.
If injected directly into the user’s bloodstream this reduces the need to re-dose, but this can cause large open skin ulcers to form and has led to it being dubbed a ‘zombie’ drug.
National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths group director Caroline Copeland told The Times last year: “Xylazine is not in the standard drug screens done and there could be many more going undetected.
“How big is the UK’s Xylazine problem? This could be the tiniest tip of a growing iceberg.”
“Cheap xylazine test strips should be made available and healthcare providers need to be aware of the signs that chronic skin ulcers are due to xylazine use.
“Pathologists and coroners should specifically request toxicology testing for xylazine in relevant cases to understand the true prevalence of the drug.”
Dr Adam Holland, of the University of Bristol, added: “The emergence of xylazine in the UK drug market is extremely concerning.
“As levels of adulteration increase and drug-related deaths mount it becomes even more clear that our punitive drug laws are not reducing harm.
“We need to expand the range of harm reduction interventions available for people who use drugs, including drug checking and overdose prevention centres, to give them the opportunities they need to stay safe.”
Separate data from the Office for National Statistics shows deaths involving cocaine have increased eight-fold over the past decade and have risen for ten consecutive years.
In 2021, 840 people died in England and Wales due to cocaine, up from 112 deaths in 2011.
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