Several Internet users as well as the program Paf avec Baba by Cyril Hanouna claimed that the “zombie drug” had arrived in France, with supporting videos. But these videos have been hijacked and taken out of context.
The rumor has been growing on social networks since the publication of two videos by the Cerfia account: the “zombie drug” has indeed arrived in France. This is the nickname given to xylazine, a powerful sedative for horses, which, when consumed by humans, immediately puts them into a semi-conscious state while standing, making them resemble zombies. .
🇫🇷🧟 Several cases similar to the “ #drug of the zombie” were recorded in #Rouen the last days. (Witnesses to CF) pic.twitter.com/nWuWqtJ94s
— 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖙𝖈𝖍 (@dracabitchII) September 11, 2023
“Several cases resembling “zombie drugs” have been recorded in Rouen in recent days”, wrote Cerfia on X, formerly Twitter, in a message since deleted, but the information continues to circulate. One of the videos shows two men completely slumped over in the city’s subway, one of whom ends up falling out of his chair. The other video shows a man and a woman walking in the distance in a somewhat jerky manner. These images were republished by several accounts and were spotted by Cyril Hanouna’s team. The French host broadcast them in his show Paf avec Baba on Tuesday September 12 and also concluded that the “zombie drug” had arrived in our country (the replay of the show has since been deleted). True or false ?
Misappropriated videos
It’s wrong. France 3 Normandie carried out the investigation on the ground and ensures that the videos were diverted and taken out of context. The author of the video in the metro told public television that before he started filming, one of the two men was holding a bottle of alcohol. They were actually completely drunk.
As for the second video, the error is even worse. It is actually a mother and her son, both disabled. They were walking in Darnétal, a town near Rouen. Several traders who have known them for years assured France 3 Normandie that, if they walk in a way that can be perceived as different, it has nothing to do with drugs but with their disability. They also expressed their anger at seeing them criticized on social networks. Their legal representative plans to file a complaint for defamation.
Arcom, the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication, indicated to Libération that it had been informed of the broadcast of these images on C8 and will investigate the sequence.
No trace of the “zombie drug” in France
These videos therefore do not prove the use of xylazine as a drug in France. But what’s more, field workers found no trace of it, either in drug referrals or among users. The French Observatory on Drugs and Addictive Tendencies ensures that “its consumption remains confined to the United States to this day”.
This is not the first time false information has been floated about the “zombie drug.” In June, several messages on social networks already assured that she had arrived in France, the false information had been denied by Désintox d’Arte and Checknews de Release.