Unmasking the Deadly Surge: What’s Fueling the Triple Rise in ‘Zombie Drug’ Deaths?

Ever wonder what it feels like to get knocked out by a drug so fierce it’s nicknamed the ‘zombie drug’? Well, hold onto your hats, because the story of Tracey McCann—a woman who nearly lost both arms to a sinister animal tranquilizer creeping into the illicit drug scene—will shake you to your core . This isn’t just another cautionary tale; it’s a stark glimpse into a shadowy epidemic that’s making streets in Philadelphia and beyond feel less like neighborhoods and more like scenes from a horror flick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have flagged xylazine as an unapproved menace, often laced with opioids like fentanyl, turning already dangerous cocktails into death traps. And if you think this plague is confined to the U.S., think again—England and Wales are witnessing a troubling rise in related fatalities too. So, what exactly is this ‘zombie drug,’ and why should we all be paying attention? Brace yourself, because the ripple effects are far from just numbers on a chart—they’re devastating livelihoods and tearing communities apart. LEARN MORE.

Warning: This article contains discussion of drug addiction which some readers may find distressing.

The number of deaths linked to a so-called ‘zombie drug’ have reportedly tripled in the last year.

Tracey McCann was homeless on the streets of Kensington, Philadelphia when she became addicted to it.

She almost lost both of her arms to the animal tranquilliser ‘found in the US illegal drug supply and linked to overdose deaths’, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dealers will sometimes mix the tranquiliser into ‘illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl’ to increase the ‘street value’ or ‘enhance drug effects’.

Xylazine was banned as a class C substance in the UK at the start of the year (Getty Stock Images)

The drug in question is xylazine.

“Xylazine—which is not approved for use in people and can slow down the brain and breathing, make the heart beat slower, and lower blood pressure in people, is especially dangerous when combined with opioids like fentanyl,” the CDC warn.

On 11 July, 2023, the White House released a National Response Plan after xylazine-involved overdose deaths in America rose from 102 in 2018 to 3,468 in 2021.

And latest stats seen by LBC indicate that it was detected in at least 21 drug-related deaths in England and Wales in 2024, up from seven deaths the year prior.

“It’s an animal tranquilliser and what it does is it stops the oxygen to your tissues,” Tracey told the outlet.

Tracey McCann shared her before and after pictures on social media (Instagram/@tracey090522)

“So I would inject it into my arms, be sedated and then I would wake up and they would be black and crusty because the tissue was dying or dead.

“Someone I knew would sniff it and her nose was like all eaten, you could see into her nose.”

Tracey also said that her arms ‘were almost amputated’ and she was ‘having seizures and it was awful’.

“My last day using before I got clean three years ago I was 85 pounds and mentally, physically and spiritually broken,” the recovery center worker added.

Tracey is now three years clean (Instagram/@tracey090522)

“And all detoxes are horrible, but with xylazine it was like an alcohol, fentanyl and benzodiazepines detox all at the same time.”

Tracey – who says she’s been clean for three years – has now issued a xylazine warning to people in the UK.

“It’s very concerning to hear (about the rise in deaths in Britain) because it’s not just death there will be so many other things coming with that,” she said.

“You’ll have the spiritual deaths and people losing limbs. It absolutely made Kensington even worse.

“More people just knocked out on the streets. There are so many people that have lost their arms or legs because of it.

“It makes things even more hopeless.”

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