Overview

• TikTokers and YouTubers are being criticized for filming and mocking drug users in Philadelphia's low-income neighborhood of Kensington, a trend known as 'tranq tourism'.
• 'Tranq' is the nickname for xylazine, a horse tranquilizer that can cause difficulty in standing upright and flesh-eating wounds. It is extremely inexpensive and can be bought online from China for as little as $6 per kilogram.
• The videos often exploit the drug users, asking them personal questions and making them look like 'animals in a zoo'. The videos are then monetized, with some content creators admitting they are doing it mostly for the money.
• Sarah Laurel, founder of Savage Sisters, a nonprofit supporting those affected by substance abuse, estimates there are now 'over 150 channels dedicated to Kensington and all the things that take place here'.
• Opponents argue that the content creators should be funneling their money back into the community, providing resources and assistance instead of exploiting the situation.