America’s opioid epidemic has entered a new and especially dangerous phase, as synthetic fentanyl and deadly additives devastate families and communities across the country. Congress must act now to equip law enforcement with the resources and tools they need to keep communities safe, while preventing unintended consequences on hardworking veterinarians, farmers and ranchers.
Today, foreign manufactured, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances drive the opioid epidemic. Despite being 50 to 100 times stronger than their prescription counterparts, these synthetic opioids are often mixed with toxic cutting agents to increase potency and street value, while decreasing production costs.
In recent years, cartels and criminal organizations have increasingly used xylazine, a powerful veterinary sedative, as a low-cost cutting agent for illicit fentanyl. This lethal combination is known as “tranq.”
Designated as an emerging threat to the United States in 2023, illicit xylazine poses grave health and safety risks when ingested by humans, including depressed breathing and heart rate, unconsciousness, severe necrosis and death. As of 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration had seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 states.
At the same time, licit xylazine has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for veterinary use since 1972 and remains a critical tool for veterinarians, farmers and ranchers. They use this drug to treat livestock and wildlife. In cattle, xylazine is the only safe and effective drug. There is no alternative.
Currently, the DEA is in the process of making xylazine a controlled substance; however, scheduling xylazine without protecting its legitimate use may limit veterinary professionals’ ability to treat animals and could increase the risk of supply disruption. Further, given xylazine is a low-volume, low-margin, generic animal drug, high regulatory burdens could force the few remaining domestic manufacturers to discontinue production altogether.
Congress must fight the spread of illicit xylazine while preserving its veterinary use.
That’s why, over the last two years, we’ve worked with congressional colleagues, federal agencies and stakeholders like the American Veterinary Medical Association to craft a solution that achieves both goals, titled the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. Our bipartisan, bicameral bill classifies xylazine as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, and contains several statutory provisions to preserve veterinary professionals’ access and provide the DEA transparency into xylazine’s market. This added market transparency would allow law enforcement to better track the legitimate sales of xylazine, as well as how the drug is diverted to the black market or illegally imported from China.
Last Congress, language containing core components of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. This Congress, we reintroduced the bill with updated language to strengthen its provisions. Our legislation is supported by the DEA, multiple law enforcement organizations, including the National Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Attorneys General and 30 state attorneys general, and all 50 state veterinary medical organizations. Attorney General Pam Bondi also advocated for the scheduling of xylazine on her first day in office.
More than half of states have passed, proposed or implemented xylazine-related legislation or regulations. Passing the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act would alleviate this growing patchwork of state-by-state xylazine restrictions. Congressional inaction would compromise the DEA’s ability to effectively combat the ongoing drug epidemic and weaken the nation’s public health infrastructure.
The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act is a commonsense solution that will help keep deadly xylazine off the streets, without threatening the livelihood of farmers and ranchers nationwide. We urge our colleagues in Congress to join us in support of this legislation and work swiftly to pass it into law.
Catherine Cortez Masto is the senior senator from Nevada, Chuck Grassley is the senior senator from Iowa, Jimmy Panetta represents the 19th District of California and August Pfluger represents the 11th District of Texas.
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