A new, flesh-eating “zombie drug” has “saturated” the streets of Los Angeles, authorities say.
The drug, called xylazine, is normally used by veterinarians to anesthetize animals. But it can be deadly when mixed with fentanyl or heroin, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office. The substance is known as the “zombie drug” because it actually causes users’ skin to rot, sometimes forcing the amputation of limbs, a sheriff’s spokesman says.
“I’ve never seen anything like what we’re dealing with right now,” says Cary Quashen, an addiction expert. “We had a woman come in and her sister had passed away from a fentanyl overdose. But not only was it a fentanyl overdose; her skin was starting to rot, the muscles on her leg and her arm. So that’s a sure sign of xylazine.” FBI agent Bill Bodner adds, “It’s really gruesomely disfiguring people.”