I work in Addiction Medicine and xylazine is not a new problem; the media is just now picking up on it. Certain states are not supportive of harm reduction (access to naloxone, syringe service programs, etc) which only makes xylazine in the drug supply worse.
Xylazine is not approved for use in humans. It is used as a sedative in veterinary medicine, which is why it’s referred to as “tranq” on the street. The closest drug we have in humans is clonidine. We are not sure how xylazine works in humans. Xylazine was previously studied in humans to treat hypertension; however, it was not approved by the FDA due to causing severe hypotension and bradycardia. It’s still extremely important to administer naloxone to suspected opioid ODs even if xylazine use is suspected even though naloxone has no affect on xylazine.
Xylazine is also cytotoxic and causes necrotic wounds and ulcerations in people who inject drugs.
Just say you signed an NDA /s