Canada’s highly toxic illicit drug supply is worsening with the emergence of xylazine, a dangerous and unpredictable animal tranquillizer that’s putting drug users’ lives at risk in alarming new ways, and advocates are calling for more to be done to address the issue.
The severely potent veterinary sedative, known on the street as “tranq dope” or “zombie drug,” is being cut with opioids like fentanyl to prolong their effects, but can also cause hours-long blackouts and horrific, painful wounds that can lead to amputation.
“It puts people in sort of blackout states, people are at really high risk of walking into traffic because
