What is Tranq, and Why Is It Deadlier than Fentanyl?

Now, there's an even deadlier drug beginning to show up in Puget Sound, and possibly not long before the rest of the state.

 Tranq is a mixture of fentanyl and xylazine--a horse tranquilizer

Law enforcement officials in the Puget Sound area, according to MyNorthwest.com, say this new mix is starting to turn up. Both drugs are considered downer drugs, and a dose of tranq is said to potentially able to cause a person to go into a coma in moments and die.

Narcan, or naloxone, which police and EMS workers carry, can counter the effects of fentanyl very effectively but are said to be useless against tranq or xylazine.

Xylazone, which is legal and used by vets in caring for large animals such as horses, and even elephants, can be obtained legally without a great amount of difficulty.

It began to show up on the east coast over the last year or two and has spread west. Along the way, authorities began to find it was being mixed with other drugs. It is not yet considered an epidemic, according to MyNorthwest.com and KIRO Radio, state officials found only about 1 percent of fentanyl overdose deaths in 2021-22 involved the animal drug.

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However, because it is not an illegal drug, autopsy tests often don't screen for it. The true number of tranq overdose deaths is likely to be at least a bit higher than projected.

   The drug mix can also cause the rotting of flesh

According to a Marysville Police expert, tranq can result in open sores that result in a person's flesh rotting away while they are still alive. Marysville PD Mental Health Expert  Rochelle Long told MyNorthwest.com they've seen people losing a finger or wondering why they are losing skin or possibly other limbs.