- A bipartisan coalition of 39 AGs sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging the swift passage of the Combatting Illicit Xylazine Act, which would provide resources to fight the recent uptick in overdoses and deaths caused by use of the street drug.
- Xylazine is manufactured for use as a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer for large animals, and thus is currently readily available for purchase over Internet sites. The AGs’ letter cites a recent DEA warning that the drug, also known as “tranq” or “zombie drug” when sold on the street, is a deadlier threat to public safety than fentanyl. The AGs warn that the number of fatalities from overdose deaths involving xylazine is rising exponentially.
- The AGs ask the Congressional leaders to pass the Act, which would classify xylazine as a Schedule III drug and allow the DEA to track the manufacturing and sales of the drug to ensure it is not diverted, among other measures to combat xylazine’s threat to public safety.