Washington – Xylazine It’s not the kind of medicine that’s in people’s medicine cabinets, it’s killing people.
Used by veterinarians to sedate horses and cattle, this veterinary tranquilizer is added to fentanyl and other over-the-counter medications. Not approved for human use. This is a dangerous sedative, not an opioid.
Because it is not an opioid, it does not respond to the life-saving drug Narcan. This means that people who abuse xylazine are more likely to die.
Congress is moving to classify the drug as a controlled substance, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning earlier this month. Xylazine is a pervasive problem, found in fentanyl mixtures in 48 of the 50 states. DEA Public Health Alert.
“Xylazine makes fentanyl even deadlier than the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” said DEA administrator Ann Milgram.
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What Congress Wants to Do About Xylazine
Congress wants xylazine to be a controlled substance as the country battles the latest wave of the opioid crisis.
The House and Senate will introduce bipartisan legislation on Tuesday to help the DEA and local law enforcement “get xylazine off the streets,” said Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada). .
Cortez Masto, the lead sponsor of the Senate bill, said, “Drug traffickers go to great lengths to increase their profits with dangerous drugs like trunks, and we want law enforcement to reach out to our community.” should be empowered to crack down on the spread of
“Tranq” is one of the street names for drugs. Also known as “trunk dope,” “sleep cut,” and “zombie heroin.” Medical brand names include AnaSed, Rompun and Sedazin.
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Republican, Democratic senators support bill fight xylazine
“Drug overdoses remain unacceptably high as cartels and traffickers continue to flood the country with deadly and ever-changing poisons,” said Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. rice field. “Having one hand tied behind your back doesn’t do much to prevent these tragedies.”
Senator Maggie Hassan (DN.H.) is also a major co-sponsor. Other senators supporting the bill include Senator Jeanne Chaheen (DN.H.). Jim Lisch, R-Idaho. Shelly Moore Capito, RW.Va.; Roger Marshall, R Cann. and Joe Manchin, DW.Va.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) will hold a press conference on the issue at 11:30 am on Thursday.
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House Bill to Combat Xylazine Gains Momentum
On the House side, Republicans and Democrats have introduced similar bills to keep xylazine off the streets. August Pfluger, R-Texas; Gus Birilakis, R-Fula. Ken Buck, R-Colo. and Chris Pappas, DN.H.
Xylazine is used legally in agriculture, and legislators say they want to prevent its misuse on the road.
Drug traffickers are combining xylazine and fentanyl to create a cheaper, more deadly and highly addictive “toxic drug brew,” Panetta and Pflueger said in a statement.
“Our goal is to save lives and ensure that law enforcement has the tools they need to properly respond to those creating these deadly hoaxes that are killing so many of their neighbors. “At the same time, we must ensure that veterinarians who use xylazine for legitimate purposes continue to use it. Our law strikes the right balance.” increase.”
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How many deaths from fentanyl?
Xylazine is being added to fentanyl, the fast-acting opioid that fueled another deadly wave of epidemics that began in the mid-1990s with the rise of prescriptions for addictive tablets like OxyContin.
Between 2000 and 2020, nearly 1 million Americans died from drug overdoses. At that time, more than half were caused by opioids. By 2020, at least 75% of drug overdose deaths were opioid-related, according to the study. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The death toll has risen steadily for 20 years due to increasing addiction to prescription painkillers and heroin.
Fentanyl poisoning occurs when fentanyl is mixed with other street drugs without the user’s knowledge. Multiple reports of young people dying From buying and consuming pills they didn’t know were laced or filled with fentanyl.
Nearly 108,000 Americans died from drug addiction between August 2021 and August 2022, according to the latest data from the CDC, with 66% involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
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Candy Woodall is a Congressional Correspondent for USA TODAY. You can contact her at [email protected] or @candynotcandace on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY. What is xylazine?Congress cracks down on this drug in the fentanyl battle
