PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After being attributed to a late 2022 Portland death, local officials are warning about the dangers of “tranq,” a veterinary tranquilizer that has been entering drug supplies across the United States.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, tranq-related deaths saw a massive rise during the late 2010s, particularly in the Northeastern U.S. where overdose deaths involving Tranq rose from 2% to 26% in Pennsylvania.

With the drug’s popularity spreading westward across the U.S., local officials are warning about the drug, what it is, what it does, and what to do in the case of an overdose.

What is tranq?

First synthesized by the Bayer Company in 196, Xylazine, is described by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a non-opioid veterinary medicine used to sedate and relieve pain for animals during surgery.

The drug is typically used on animals in combination with other anesthetics such as Ketamine or barbiturates, but it is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human use.

When mixed with fentanyl, or other opioids, it is commonly called “tranq” and according to research from the NIDA, tranq is often used for its “euphoric effects.”

What does tranq do?

Xylazine is a central nervous system depressant that has been found to cause drowsiness, slowed breathing, amnesia, slowed heart rate, and decreased blood pressure to “dangerously low levels”

Multnomah County officials shared that tranq can cause necrotic skin wounds when injected, leading to infection and muscle/tissue damage. That damage has led to amputation in certain cases.

Repeated use of tranq has also been connected to physiologic dependence and dangerous withdrawal symptoms such as hypertension, tachycardia and irritability.

What to do for a tranq overdose

Since tranq isn’t an opioid, the NIDA said that common opioid reversal medication, like naloxone, won’t help xylazine’s effects on breathing.

However, since xylazine is commonly mixed with opioids, they still recommend taking the reversal medication to address any effects that it can.

Multnomah County officials also stressed that calling 911 should always be the first step if it is suspected that someone is overdosing on tranq.