It was classified as a "national threat" What is the "zombie drug" that is sweeping the United States?

The United States has classified the drug xylazine, known in the media as the "zombie drug", as a threat to US national health security, after the skyrocketing number of addicts in recent years.

In recent years, the United States of America has witnessed a skyrocketing number of addicts to the drug xylazine, known in the media as the "zombie drug", as it causes its users to experience symptoms resembling the living dead, such as rotting skin, coma, difficulty in movement, or even cannibalism in extreme and rare cases.

This prompted President Joe Biden's administration to declare the "zombie drug" a threat to public health, according to which it will allocate a financial envelope of millions of dollars to combat this scourge, which is spreading particularly among the poor classes and homeless people, and the speed of its addiction contributes to its rapid spread.

What is "zombie drug"?

Xylazine is used in legal cases in veterinary medicine, as a sedative for animals. However, this use did not prevent drug dealers and promotion gangs from converting it to human use, as a strong drug. Its anesthetic potency, compared to its counterparts, is estimated to be 50 times higher than heroin and 100 times higher than morphine . It is also the most addictive, as its users get addicted from the first dose.

It is estimated that the history of the use of xylazine as an anesthetic dates back to the beginning of the third millennium, and as a result it gained its famous name “zombie drug” for the strange symptoms it causes to its users, which are very similar to the behaviors of living dead characters in horror films. It is also called the "bath salt drug" because users often deceive the police by claiming that it is bath salt.

According to Dr. Shuvita Badhi, human consumption of xylazine "causes respiratory depression, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and lowers body temperature to critical levels." And the doctor adds that "when xylazine is combined with opioids such as fentanyl, it greatly increases the risk of fatal overdose."

Long-term use of this drug also causes skin sepsis and blisters on the addict's limbs, which leads to amputation in most cases, which is the origin of its name "zombie drug". In extreme and rare cases of abuse, the person engages in violent behaviors that reach the point of cannibalism. In 2012, a homeless person in the American city of Miami attacked a man and ate his face, and the city police later said that the perpetrator was under the influence of xylazine.

A "national threat" in the United States

The United States is witnessing a skyrocketing number of “zombie drug” addicts, and this is due to its rapid addiction and very low prices compared to drugs such as heroin or methamphetamine, according to James Sherman, director of the American “Savage Sisters” organization that works in the field of helping addicts recover.

According to estimates by the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the number of xylazine addicts in the US went from 10,000 to 28,000 between 2010 and 2011. Confirmed medical reports of drug abuse in the south of the country increased from 100% to 200% between 2020 and 2021.

According to a 2022 study, the percentage of overdose deaths caused by xylazine increased from 2% in 2015 to 31% in 2020. By state, 10% of deaths occurred in Connecticut, 19% in Maryland, and 19% in Connecticut . Pennsylvania exceeded 26%.

A recent White House statement said xylazine overdose deaths rose 1,127% in the South, 750% in the West, more than 500% in the Midwest, and more than 100% in the Northeast.

President Biden's administration announced , on April 12, that drug use of xylazine had become an "emerging threat" to health security in the United States of America. "As a physician, I am deeply concerned about the devastating impact of the fentanyl-xylazine combination, and as President Biden's drug policy advisor, I am deeply concerned about what this threat means to the nation," White House drug policy official Dr. Rahul Gupta said in a statement .

"By declaring xylazine along with fentanyl an emerging threat, we are taking a proactive approach to saving lives, and creating new tools for public health and safety officials and communities across the country to deal with this condition," Gupta added.

"Lithium War" Has America failed to find a foothold in the "lithium triangle"?

As the demand for lithium increases as the world transitions to electric vehicles and renewable energy sources, its supply and sources are concentrated in a few countries, notably China, Australia and the so-called “lithium triangle” of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.

The term "lithium war" refers to the intense global competition for the mineral resources that have become the backbone of the modern battery industry. Growing demand for electric cars, renewable energy storage systems and other technologies that rely on lithium-ion batteries has sparked a race between countries to secure reliable sources of lithium.

While the demand for lithium is increasing for the world’s transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy sources, its supply and sources are concentrated in a few countries, especially China, Australia and the so-called “lithium triangle” in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, which are home to the world’s largest reserves of lithium, which makes it a target. strategically for countries seeking to dominate the global lithium market.

However, despite America's efforts to secure a foothold in the "Lithium Triangle" countries in order to realize the plans laid out by the Biden administration to transition to clean energy, it has failed to acquire a significant presence in the region as China and Russia have done.

"lithium triangle"

The Lithium Triangle is a region located in the Andes Mountains that stretches across three South American countries: Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. The Lithium Triangle holds more than 75% of the world's lithium reserves under salt flats, known as Salars, making it a strategic area for the global lithium market.

Bolivia boasts the largest reserves of lithium, followed by Chile and Argentina. However, each country faces different challenges and opportunities in developing and exploiting lithium resources.

As Argentina attracts foreign investment and develops a lithium industry, it faces social and environmental conflicts with local communities and indigenous groups over water rights and land use. Bolivia struggles to create a viable lithium sector due to political instability and lack of infrastructure, as well as nationalist policies that limit foreign interference.

Chile, the world's leading lithium producer for decades, also faces legal disputes with the main lithium mining company, SQM, over royalties, taxes and environmental regulations.

"Lithium War"

The increasing demand for lithium, largely driven by the increase in the production of electric cars, has made the lithium triangle a hotbed of international competition, as companies and even countries have begun to race against time in order to reserve an advanced seat for them in a race currently led by China within the battery supply chain, starting with mining From processing to manufacturing the batteries and the cars that will power them.

While the United States has been trying to secure a foothold in the lithium triangle for several years by investing in local lithium mining companies and promoting technological innovation to improve lithium extraction and processing, this did not prevent China from already dominating global lithium markets, as it alone produces 74.3% of the global capacity of lithium batteries . Lithium-ion, with expectations to reach 83.8% by 2025, according to a report by the energy research company "Rystad Energy".

While Bolivia, home to the world's largest discovered crude reserves, is witnessing one of the fiercest chapters of the current "lithium war" between Chinese, Russian and American companies to win this treasure, according to a recent report published by the British Financial Times.

Has America failed to find a foothold there?

The United States is trying to secure its access to lithium and other critical metals for the clean energy transition and national security interests. The Biden administration has identified lithium as one of the four primary battery materials it aims to obtain domestically or from allies. However, the United States faces strong competition from China, which dominates the global lithium supply chain and is expanding its presence and influence in the "Lithium Triangle" through investments, partnerships, and loans.

Another factor hampering America's efforts to gain a foothold in the lithium triangle is political instability and domestic opposition to mining projects in the region. Many communities in the Lithium Triangle oppose mining activities due to concerns about environmental impact and potential displacement of indigenous communities. These factors have made it difficult for American companies to establish a significant presence in the region.

In addition to China, other countries such as South Korea, Japan and Germany have also made significant investments in the lithium triangle, which has increased competition for lithium resources in the region. This made it more difficult for the United States to secure a foothold in the region.