'Zombie Drug' Hits Morris County Increasing Fatal Overdose Risk: Police

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The number of people dying from drug overdoses in New Jersey has been falling over the past two years, but Morris County officials have warned of the growing prevalence of new synthetic drugs.

Last week, on the 22nd anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day, Morris County, state officials, and community organizations gathered in Parsippany with families of overdose victims to honor the lives of substance use victims and discuss the current state of the opioid crisis in the United States.

“By promoting awareness and education, we hope to inform more individuals both young and old alike to be alert about the warning signs associated with synthetic opioids. No one should ever feel like they are alone in this fight or feel embarrassed or scared to ask for help,” State Sen. Anthony M. Bucco said.

County officials also took the time to warn residents about a new, more potent narcotic that is swiftly becoming common and deadly among individuals suffering from substance use disorder.

Xylazine, known on the streets as "Tranq," or "Zombie Drug," is a powerful sedative only approved for use in animals. It is not safe for human use, the health department said. Xylazine is a non-opioid drug that is a muscle relaxant.

In an overdose, it slows down the central nervous system, which can then cause difficulty breathing, confusion, loss of coordination, and coma.

People who inject drug mixtures containing xylazine can also develop severe wounds, including necrosis—the rotting of human tissue — that may lead to amputation, officials warned.

“Xylazine, an FDA-approved animal sedative and pain reliever not meant for human consumption, is the 'newest co-murderer' contributing to overdose deaths along with fentanyl. Dealers lace heroin and other recreational drugs with fentanyl and xylazine, creating a mix that is exponentially more powerful than users anticipate,” Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said.

In 2022, one-third of all heroin and fentanyl contained xylazine, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 States.”

Because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone (Narcan) has no effect on it. Even so, specialists usually advocate giving naloxone to anyone who appears to be suffering from a narcotic overdose.

While drug-related overdose deaths have increased across the country, the good news for New Jersey is that they have been decreasing for the previous two years.

According to Detective Sergeant Kevin Coyle of the New Jersey State Police's Office of Drug Monitoring and Analysis, drug-related deaths in April 2023 were the lowest statewide since 2017, down 12 percent from 2022, when they were down seven percent overall.

Sheriff James Gannon believes the decrease is due in part to initiatives like the Hope One and Navigating Hope mobile outreach vans, as well as projects like Hope Hub and efforts by the Morris County Human Services Department and non-profit organizations to raise community awareness and recognition of mental health and substance abuse.

Caroline Bailey, who has been sober for ten years and is currently employed as a peer recovery specialist at Morris County Prevention is Key, an addiction treatment program in Rockaway, received the Hope One service award from Gannon at Thursday's ceremony.

"My heart is heavy today. There are so, so, so many people that I have personally lost. I will fight every day to continue to help people that are struggling with substance use," Bailey said.