PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood is known as an open air drug market.
"It is the biggest open air drug market on the East Coast. You literally can just walk up on a block and cop whatever substance you like," said James Sherman a former user who is now focused on street outreach with the nonprofit Savage Sisters Recovery.
Now, the area in North Philadelphia is at the center of the Tranq epidemic, hit hard by the emerging misuse of the animal tranquilizer Xylazine. The drug is leaving hundreds of users in Philadelphia with gruesome wounds that could lead to amputations.
"I might even lose my legs. It has been going on for over a year now," said user Gene.
