Government to ban flesh-rotting ‘zombie drug’ Tranq, which has killed 11 Britons and caused overdoses in the US
The British government is to ban a deadly animal tranquilliser that rots meat.
Xylazine, nicknamed “tranq,” has helped turn American cities like Philadelphia and New York into “zombie lands,” leaving users dead.
But the powerful drug – strong enough to knock out elephants – is now ‘widespread’ on Britain’s streets, experts say.
Since 2022, there have already been 11 deaths linked to it.
With the crackdown on drug gangs underway, the Home Office wants to introduce legislation to ban xylazine and 21 other substances to prevent future deaths.
Karl Warburton, 43, (pictured) died in May 2022 from the effects of xylazine combined with other drugs including heroin, fentanyl and cocaine
Xylazine depresses the central nervous system, causing users, like this one in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, to take on a zombie-like appearance
Policing Minister Diana Johnson said: ‘One of the key missions of this new Government is to make our streets safer.
‘We will not accept the use of means that endanger lives and allow drug gangs to exploit vulnerable people.
‘We have seen what happens in other countries when the use of these drugs grows unchecked, which is why we are among the first countries to take action and protect our communities from these dangerous new drugs.
‘The criminals who produce, distribute and profit from these drugs will therefore face the full force of the law.
A powerful animal tranquilliser that has helped turn some US cities into ‘zombie lands’ is being added to Britain’s cocaine supplies, experts warn
“The changes being implemented this week will also make it easier to take tough action against suppliers who try to circumvent our checks.”
Xylazine, which has been found in vapes used by some illicit drug users to vape cannabis, will soon be labeled a Class C drug.
Of the remaining 21, six are operated as Class A.
Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, drugs are classified into three different classes based on their danger to humans.
Class A is the most serious and includes substances such as cocaine and crack, ecstasy, MDMA and heroin, while codeine, ketamine and cannabis are Class B.
The so-called ‘date rape’ drug GHB, anabolic steroids, nitrous oxide and the stimulant khat are Class C drugs.
Under current drug laws, possession of Class A drugs faces up to seven years in prison, an unlimited fine, or both.
Anyone caught supplying or producing these substances could face a life sentence, an unlimited fine, or both.
People caught in possession of Class B weapons face up to five years in prison. People caught carrying Class C weapons face up to two years in prison.
The number of xylazine overdose deaths in the United States increased from 102 to 3,468 in just three years, between 2018 and 2021.
In April 2023, it was designated an “emerging drug threat” by the White House, which often precedes a drug being classified as illegal.
No further national measures have yet been taken.
The flesh-eating drug can affect a person’s skin in places far from the injection site. This patient frequently injected the drug into his neck with horrific effects
Some US states, including Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, have passed bans.
Earlier this year, researchers from Kings College London also found sedatives in cocaine, fake codeine and Valium tablets.
They warned that the figure of 11 is likely to be a “gross underestimate” as UK laboratories do not routinely test for the drug.
It is believed that the victim is Karl Warburton, a 43-year-old factory worker from Solihull who in 2022 became the UK’s first known sedation victim.
Writing in the diary AddictionThey warned that if drug use increased, as it has in the US, hundreds of Britons could die.
“If the UK experiences a 20-fold increase in deaths similar to the US since 2015, then the number of deaths from xylazine use could be expected to exceed 220 by 2028,” the researchers said.
Xylazine will remain available for veterinary prescription, the government said. However, it will only be available if it is prescribed by law.
The changes are expected to come into effect later this year or early 2025.