Animal tranquiliser with 'horrific' side effects now widespread after first death in West Midlands

It comes since the first death from the drug outside the US in a 43-year-old man from Solihull in May 2022.

Xylazine has been found in opioids such as heroin and fentanyl but has also appeared in cocaine, counterfeit valium and codeine and even turned up in cannabis vapes.

It is a non-opioid sedative, painkiller and muscle relaxant used by vets to tranquilise animals.

The drug, known as 'trang' or 'trang dope' when cut with other opioids, can dangerously lower the breathing and heart rate.

In those who inject it, it can cause large open skin ulcers.

With its reach ever growing, researchers have warned of a health timebomb following the first death from the drug outside the US in a 43-year-old man from Solihull in May 2022.

Researchers from the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths at King’s College London contacted all toxicology laboratories in the UK to collate evidence of xylazine detections in biological samples.

Their results, published in the journal Addiction, showed the drug turning up in 16 people, 11 of which were fatal.

Senior author Dr Caroline Copeland said: “We now know that 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.

"Xylazine was designated an ‘emerging threat’ to the United States and this public health threat is a growing concern for the UK.

“There are three simple measures the UK can introduce to prevent the epidemic of xylazine use that has emerged in the USA.

"Cheap xylazine test strips should be made available, healthcare providers need to be aware of the signs that chronic skin ulcers are due to xylazine use, and pathologists and coroners should specifically request toxicology testing for xylazine in relevant cases to understand the true prevalence of the drug.”

Co-author Dr Adam Holland, Co-Chair, faculty of public health drugs special interest group and clinical research training fellow at the University of Bristol added: “The emergence of xylazine in the UK drug market, as well as the proliferation of potent synthetic substances including nitazenes and benzodiazepine analogues 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.”

Professor Sir John Strang, head of addictions at the institute of psychiatry, psychology & neuroscience at King's College London and was not involved in the study, said: “We need to be constantly alert to changes in the nature of the illicit drug market, especially as these changes sometimes bring new health complications or challenges.

"Copeland and her colleagues bring important new information about the appearance of a new drug, xylazine, as a co-drug added to illicit heroin and also apparently as a novel drug on its own.

“Copeland and colleagues also identify possible changes in public health planning and law enforcement - a good illustration of how science can inform public policy and practice and enable valuable impact."