AUSTIN, Texas — Xylazine, the flesh-eating drug also known under the street name "tranq," has been discovered in Central Texas.
On Wednesday, Travis County officials announced the first xylazine-related deaths in the Austin area, referring to the presence of the drug as "an emerging threat."
Xylazine is used as a tranquilizer in animals and has not been approved for human use.
The drug causes sedation, slows breathing or stops breathing.
Xylazine is commonly mixed with fentanyl or heroin, to enhance their effects. It isn't a controlled substance, which means it's easily available and it isn't an opioid, so naloxone, or Narcan, can't reverse its effects.
Dr. Desmar Walkes, the Austin-Travis County Health Authority, said the combination of these factors likely means an increased number of overdose deaths in our area, which have already been skyrocketing due to fentanyl abuse.
From 2019 to 2022, accidental fentanyl-related deaths increased tenfold from 22 in 2019 to 245 in 2022. That number is only expected to increase this year.
"Our team expects that there will be about 484 overdose deaths in 2023 ... So the big picture is the numbers are going up and that is still terrible and we need to do more," Travis County Judge Andy Brown said. "They're not going up at the same exponential rate that we saw last year ... but it's still a terrible reminder about how much work we have left to do in the community."
Health experts said another challenge is treating Xylazine-related overdoses.
"They're much harder to treat because it's not just the Xylazine that's present, but oftentimes fentanyl ... also methylphenidate, cocaine, etc.," Walkes said.
Travis County Commissioner Ann Howard (Precinct 3) said now is the time for parents and coaches to have the tough conversation with children about the dangers of drug use.
Brown pointed out investments Travis County has made to reduce overdoses.
"Earlier this month, the commissioners court and I approved an $825,000 [investment] of the initial $1.4 million disbursement that we got from the opioid settlement. Just the first of many, hopefully, towards these efforts," Brown said. "That includes $175,000 to buy more Narcan, $350,000 for peer recovery support with communities for recovery and $300,000 for methadone services or medically assisted treatment."
Brown also said the County has earmarked an additional $350,000 to create the first-ever Travis County Overdose Emergency Fund, which will go towards building a better response for community needs, such as the ongoing public health crisis. Services like Austin-Travis County EMS' (ATCEMS) Buprenorphine Bridge Program were designed to help patients battling opioid addiction get medication-assisted treatment while waiting to get into a recovery program.