What You Should Know About Xylazine Transcript

What You Should Know About Xylazine Transcript

• Length: 2 minutes 28 seconds

Narrator: A powerful sedative not intended for human use is infiltrating the US illegal drug market. The drug is called Xylazine, or its street name, Tranq.

On-screen text: Xylazine Tranq.

Dr Mbabazi Kariisa, Health Scientist: Xylazine as a non-opioid sedative. People who use drugs may unknowingly be exposed to Xylazine. Xylazine might be mixed into illegal drugs like cocaine, heroin, and most often fentanyl. Either to enhance the effects of the drug or to increase the street value by bulking up the weight. In a recent study, Xylazine was increasingly found or detected among deaths involving illegally made fentanyl.

On screen text: Xylazine was increasingly found or detected among deaths involving illegally made fentanyl.

On screen text: Xylazine is usually injected. But it can be used by swallowing, smoking, or sniffing it.

Narrator: Xylazine is usually injected. But it can be used by swallowing, smoking, or sniffing it.

On screen text: Illegal drugs such as Cocaine, Heroin, and Fentanyl can be mixed with Xylazine. People who use drugs may not be aware of the presence of Xylazine.

Narrator:  Illegal drugs such as Cocaine, Heroin, and Fentanyl
can be mixed with Xylazine.
People who use drugs may not be aware
of the presence of Xylazine.

On screen text: Xylazine side effects.

• Sedation
• Difficulty breathing
• Dangerously low blood pressure
• Slowed heart rate
• Infected injection wounds

Dr Mbabazi Kariisa: There are serious side effects to using Xylazine,
including sedation, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood pressure,
slowed heart rates and injection wounds that can become infected.

Narrator:  In the event of an overdose. Naloxone will not reverse the effects of Xylazine, however, because Xylazine is most often found in opioid drug products, mainly fentanyl, Naloxone should still be given. It’s important to call 911 for help, especially since the effects of Xylazine may continue after naloxone is given.

Dr Mbabazi Kariisa: In the event of an overdose involving Xylazine, first responders recommend rescue breaths.

On screen text: Xylazine can cause breathing to slow down.

Dr Mbabazi Kariisa: Especially for adults because Xylazine can cause breathing to slow down, to give rescue breaths, make sure the person’s airway is clear.
Place one hand on the person’s chin and tilt the head back and pinch the nose closed. Place your mouth over the person’s mouth to make a seal and give two slow breaths. Watch for the person’s chest, but not the stomach to rise and follow up with one breath every 5 seconds. For more information on Xylazine and what communities and families can do, please visit www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose

On-screen text: What you should know about Xylazine. cdc.gov/drugoverdose