Journalist. Writer. Editor. Storyteller.
The opioid epidemic plaguing America is facing a new deadly drug trend — and West Virginia is on track to become the epicenter.
‘Tranq dope’ is the name given to the powerful animal sedative xylazine — a non-opioid animal tranquilizer that is being used as a potent cutting agent.
It has begun to flood the US illicit drug supply and it is now being mixed with fentanyl to make the opioid more potent and prolong the high users get after consuming the drug.
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I am a reporter and digital producer for the Civic section of U.S. News & World Report, where I write about breaking news. I came to U.S. News in 2016 as a researcher and writer for the Rankings and Reviews section and in 2017, joined the news team, where I helped launch America 2020. I have previously worked for LifeZette.com as a reporter and social media specialist and was an editor for several outlets at my alma mater. I am a graduate of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. You can follow me on Twitter (@arlardieri) and Facebook (/AlexaRLardieri) or connect with me on LinkedIn (/in/alexa-lardieri). View more posts
Alexa Lardieri