First UK death from sedative 'zombie drug' recorded
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA man has become the first person in the UK known to have died from taking a powerful sedative often referred to as a 'zombie drug'.
The 43-year-old was marked by experts as the first death as a direct result from xylazine. The substance is frequently used as a tranquilliser for large animals and gets its nickname from the effects it has on the body.
While the drug can lower breathing and heart rate, it can also result in large ulcers forming on the skin if it's injected. The drug recently became known after causing a surge of deaths in the US, with research by the Food and Drug Administration stating it's prevalent in 7 per cent of overdoses across the states. Read more: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community The unnamed Brit's death was detailed in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine from King's College London (KCL).
He overdosed on a mix of xylazine, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in May 2022. A coroner determined the cause of death to be acute aspiration pneumonitis, a condition often caused by inhaling toxins.
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