LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's known as the "zombie drug," and it's showing up here in the Las Vegas valley.
Xylazine is a powerful tranquilizer meant for animals, not humans. But local health experts are concerned about the number of overdose deaths involving xylazine.
To understand more about its dangers, I spoke with a local veterinarian who uses xylazine regularly. Dr. Gerald Huff showed me what happens when he gives a horse a dose of xylazine. Huff says a small dose of the tranquilizer goes a very long way.
"A dose of xylazine puts them [horses] in never-never land, heavily sedated, and then you're able to do some things with them you couldn't do otherwise," Huff said.
If misused by humans, Huff says xylazine can not only be dangerous, but deadly.
"There is a huge difference in how these drugs work from one species to another," Huff told me.
The Southern Nevada Health District has found it in our local illicit drug supply through their community surveillance program.
"It can be life-threatening if consumed, especially when it's mixed with opioids," said Brandon Delise, an epidemiologist at the Southern Nevada Health District.
The drug has already killed people in Clark County, Delise told me. The Health District reported three deaths involving xylazine in 2023, compared to one death in 2020.
"Xylazine alone can cause drowsiness, amnesia, slow breathing, slow heartbeat, low blood pressure and even death," Delise said.
One of the scariest parts about xylazine, Delise says, is that it's not an opiod, so Narcan or other overdose-reversing drugs won't counteract its effects.
Xylazine is also known as the "zombie drug" because it can cause severe skin damage and sedation, giving users a zombie-like appearance and behavior.
"It's amazing to me that human beings will actually put something like that in their system, not knowing truly what to expect," Huff said.
FULL INTERVIEW: Dr. Gerald Huff explains how xylazine affects animals he treats
The Southern Nevada Health District tells me they continue to monitor the drug through their community surveillance program, where drug paraphernalia is anonymously collected and sampled in Clark County. They are also providing test strips for both fentanyl and xylazine that you can get without any prescription.
More resources and information:
You can find fentanyl and xylazine test strips at the health district's clinic at 280 S. Decatur Blvd., off Decatur and Meadows Lane.
More locations to find fentanyl test strips are listed on the Nevada Opioid Center's website.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides information on responding to an opioid overdose on its website.
To learn more about xylazine, you can view this brochure from the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
People who are using substances, or their loved ones, can get more information about support and resources through Behavioral Health NV.
