Rhino Tranq: The New Drug Causing Organ Failure

The veterinary sedative medetomidine, or "rhino tranq," is causing severe and rapid withdrawal symptoms, pushing harm reduction centers and medical facilities in Philadelphia to their limits. Staff at Sunshine House in Kensington report reversing daily overdoses, but medetomidine's novel risks, including organ damage, present unprecedented challenges. This drug, increasingly prevalent since early 2025, complicates overdose reversals, leaving users unconscious and with potentially fatal organ complications.

Medetomidine's rise follows state bans on xylazine, another sedative. Now present in approximately seven in ten drug stamps, it is significantly more potent than xylazine. This has placed immense pressure on hospitals, with a quarter of ICU beds sometimes occupied by patients in withdrawal. Physicians note that medetomidine withdrawal lacks a diagnosis code, highlighting the urgent need for innovative treatment approaches, as current rehabilitation centers are unprepared.

The crisis in Kensington, already an epicenter for drug use, has intensified. While overdose deaths in Philadelphia saw a decline last year, the emergence of medetomidine presents a new, formidable public health challenge. Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration has focused on law enforcement and treatment facilities, but activists warn that existing state treatment programs are increasingly unfit for purpose amid this escalating crisis.