The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word SEDATIVES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
E
D
A
T
I
V
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S
More clues leading to the result SEDATIVES
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "tranquillisers" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case tranquillisers = sedatives.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SEDATIVES mean?
SEDATIVES noun- An agent or drug that sedates, having a calming or soothing effect, or inducing sleep.