Posted on 04/04/2023 12:55:38 PM PDT by nickcarraway
About five years ago, xylazine—a non-opioid sedative used in veterinary medicine—made its way to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico. Although not approved for human use, xylazine by itself is nowhere near as deadly as fentanyl or other strong opioids. However, when mixed with fentanyl as a low-cost cutting agent, the combination is particularly dangerous.
Due to its use as a veterinary tranquilizer, xylazine is easily accessible. Also known as “tranq,” the sedative causes depressed breathing, lower blood pressure and heart rate, unconsciousness and necrosis that may lead to amputation—hence its “zombie drug” nickname.
In 2021, researchers linked xylazine to 1 in 3 overdoses in the City of Brotherly Love, and expressed concerns about it spreading to other parts of the U.S. Now, it appears those concerns have become reality.
In a new public safety report, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says they have seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 states. In fact, 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA in 2022 contained xylazine.
On the heels of this report, a bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers moved to restrict xylazine in an effort to crack down on the drug's spread.
The proposed “Combating Illicit Xylazine Act” would classify xylazine as a Schedule III drug, putting it on par with ketamine and anabolic steroids. The bill also seeks to declare xylazine as an emerging drug threat, which would automatically trigger the development of a federal plan to address the crisis. Lastly, the bill allows the DEA to track the drug's manufacturing to ensure it is not diverted to the illicit market.
“The proliferation of xylazine as an additive to illicit drugs, such as fentanyl and other narcotics, threatens to exacerbate the opioid public health emergency,” the proposed bill reads. “The spread of illicit xylazine use has followed geographic patterns seen in the spread of recreational fentanyl use, with proliferation beginning in the Northeastern United States and later spreading south and west. Prompt action to control illicit xylazine will help limit further proliferation of illicit xylazine, saving countless lives.”
According to the CDC, 107,735 Americans died between August 2021 and August 2022 from drug poisonings, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Since xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone does not reverse its effects.
“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced—fentanyl—even deadlier,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.
In February, the FDA took action to restrict the unlawful entry of xylazine active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and finished dosage form drug products into the U.S. The move aims to prevent the drug from entering the market for illicit purposes, while still maintaining availability for its legitimate uses in animals. The veterinary use of xylazine is essential to sedate large animals—a legitimate pathway the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act intends to preserve.
“The American Veterinary Medical Association fully supports this congressional effort to combat illicit xylazine,” said Lori Teller, president of the veterinary advocacy group. “The proposed legislation will equip law enforcement with additional tools to stop xylazine trafficking. We urge Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act quickly as it strikes the right balance of protecting our communities while preserving veterinary access to this critically important animal drug.”
Sounds like it turns people into democrats
Our government will do nothing about this other than help facilitate it.
When I had horses, the vet used xylazine on them every time she came out to float their teeth. Here’s a 1200 pound animal thwt would remain dopey for a couple of hours. Always had to keep them stall3d until they came around. I never imagined thwt it would come to this.
Were they happy to see her?. ...............🙄
If they were serious, they would want to enforce our borders.
Xylazine + ketamine is standard for animal surgery. Ketamine is already Schedule III so making xylazine a scheduled drug shouldn’t complicate things much.
I was a medical review officer/clinical consultant for military substance abuse program in the early oughts (2002-on) and learned a thing or two about AA/NA and choice.
Here’s the choice: do the drug, don’t do the drug.
It’s that simple.
I am entirely out of f**ks for this culture of abuse and blame. Not my fault, it was your choice.
Decriminalize everything, let the bodies hit the floor.
It’s the only sane solution that hasn’t been fully put BACK into government since the 1906 Pure Food and Drug act from progressive Teddy Roosevelt and Big Pharma (the progressive Nixon’s DEA).
“Just say no” works.
China is getting what it wants?
“Decriminalize everything, let the bodies hit the floor.”
I agree. The “war on (some) drugs” has been an utter failure by any measure. Sell it all in five pound sacks at Safeway and Walmart. Wait about a month and run some end loaders down the street. Dump the bodies in a common grave and be done with it.
L
Keeping up with each microliter of the drug ketamine is a royal pain in the ass. Some of it stays in the syringe after an injection and is lost between the vial and patient. A paper pushing DEA officer can just about find error in every log book. One has to have two keys for a lock box with it signed for at every move. Xylazine and detomadine are great tranquilizers but adding this to the paperwork pile of work is going to be just more expensive, tiring and give the DEA officers just something more to pick at. The cost of a DEA license and the paperwork for these drugs is going to raise the price of everything in vet med.
Oh I can understand. We are not on the consuming end of medical products but the production end.
There are more engineers whose job is to keep regulators happy than those who develop new products and processes.
BTW, sort of a strange story. My first job was as a veterinary technician. One day our bottle of phenobarbital went missing. We figured some dog was strung out on drugs and stole it while we were not looking.
I took it. I was high as a kite.
that checks
Rompun (xylazine) is our drug of choice for a general when disbudding kids, etc. Fast acting.
Does it make you play the keyboards like Rod Argent? Does it make you “Tell her No” during the “Time of the Season?”
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