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Tranq-related overdose deaths are rising in Pennsylvania and other East Coast states, a new CDC study found

Nearly all xylazine-related overdose deaths between 2018 and 2021 also involved fentanyl.

Jen Shinefeld, a volunteer, cleans the wounds on the hands of a man named C.J. at Savage Sisters, an outreach organization based in Kensington, in January. Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, has contaminated much of the city's fentanyl supply and can cause wounds that are quick to open and slow to heal, risking infection. A recent Centers for Disease Control Study found that xylazine-related overdose deaths are most pronounced on the East Coast.
Jen Shinefeld, a volunteer, cleans the wounds on the hands of a man named C.J. at Savage Sisters, an outreach organization based in Kensington, in January. Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, has contaminated much of the city's fentanyl supply and can cause wounds that are quick to open and slow to heal, risking infection. A recent Centers for Disease Control Study found that xylazine-related overdose deaths are most pronounced on the East Coast.Read moreHeather Khalifa / Staff Photographer