People call xylazine the ‘zombie drug.’ Here’s why they should stop.

People have been filming Kensington for a long time. According to The Guardian, there are more than 150 YouTube channels devoted to content about Kensington – documenting the ways that the overdose epidemic has affected the neighborhood by interviewing people on the street, or in many cases, filming people without their consent. In the past couple of years, there has been an uptick in attention to the neighborhood as a drug called xylazine has gained prominence the street drug supply.

Videos with titles like “Philadelphia’s zombie drug ‘tranq’ already in NYC” and “flesh-eating drug is turning people into zombies” have millions of views on YouTube. News outlets use similar language in their headlines and stories.

We would like them to stop.

Xylazine, also called ‘tranq’ is a strong sedative drug that’s made its way into the city’s drug supply during the past few years. The drug is used in veterinary medicine to put animals to sleep before surgery - it is not intended for human use.

When people take the drug, they often go partially or fully unconscious and will sometimes slump over. The drug also causes skin infections that can cause wounds. These symptoms, taken together, have led some to call people under the influence of xylazine ‘zombies,’ or the drug itself the ‘zombie drug.’

SUPHR discourages the use of the term 'zombie drug' to describe xylazine. Even more, we oppose the use of 'zombie' for people who use drugs. It is dehumanizing. It describes people as monsters. People who use drugs are not monsters – they are humans who deserve our respect and care.

It also catastrophizes the drug and paints the people who use it as beyond help. Xylazine does cause serious illness, but just like with opioids or other substances, people who use xylazine can get treatment and achieve recovery. Wounds can heal. Being under the influence of a drug is a state that can be changed – not a fixed identity.

Using dehumanizing language about people who use drugs robs of dignity and does nothing to address the conditions that xylazine and overdose crisis create for people who use drugs or the community at large.

So, what should I say?

When talking about substance use, or people who use drugs, use language that is compassionate, person-first and specific.

Terms like ‘addict,’ ‘junkie’ or ‘zombie’ are harmful and unproductive. Instead, SUPHR encourages person-first alternatives such as ‘people who use drugs’, ‘people in active addiction’ or ‘people with xylazine-associated wounds’.

SUPHR assembled a guide for talking about drug use, people who use drugs and related topics. [link to SUPHR language guide]