RICHMOND, Va. – The fight against the drug epidemic continues as the new drug, Xylazine, also known as tranq, gains popularity.
On Wednesday, Senator Tim Kaine introduced a new bill called the Stop Tranq Act.
Tranq is an animal tranquilizer that drug dealers are now mixing with other drugs, along with fentanyl.
The proposed bill would require the state department to add tranq to the annual National Narcotics report, to monitor its effects on the U.S. and beyond.
Not only do most people who take tranq do so unknowingly because it is laced with another drug, tranq’s effects are not reversible like most narcotics.
“The problem with that is somebody who overdoses on a fentanyl-tranq mix, the Narcan will reverse the effects of the fentanyl but it doesn’t reduce the effects of tranq. So these drugs that are intercut are very dangerous,” said Senator Kaine.
From 2020 to 2021, the southern part of the U.S. reported a 200% increase in the use of tranq — the largest increase in the country.