PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have joined 37 other state attorneys general in asking congressional leadership to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act.
Xylazine is a veterinary medication used to sedate and relieve pain in large animals. But when mixed with opioids with fentanyl, it can be become dangerous when used by humans.
“Xylazine has started to be discovered in some fentanyl tests that have been conducted recently in South Dakota,” Jackley said. “That means this new threat has now reached our communities and our state.”
The letter from the attorneys general follows a surge in overdose deaths nationwide related to xylazine, which is easily obtainable online. Multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), have issued public alerts about the dangers of xylazine in 2023. The White House recently declared fentanyl-adulterated or -associated xylazine (FAAX) an “emerging threat” to the nation.
“Xylazine is a growing danger to communities across our nation. With a record number of overdose deaths, we must confront this new threat,” wrote the attorneys general in the letter. “We agree that Congress must act quickly to classify the illicit use of xylazine under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act provides critical tools that will enable the DEA to track its manufacturing, prevent diversion, and mandate analysis and reporting on the illicit use of xylazine.”
Xylazine is only approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a veterinary medicine. In humans, xylazine is known to depress breathing and heart rate, lower blood pressure, and cause unconsciousness, necrosis, and even death. Xylazine is not an opioid, thus existing medications like naloxone are not effective in reversing the drug’s effects even if used with opioids.
According to the DEA, there was a dramatic increase in xylazine-related overdose deaths across the United States between 2020 and 2021. Additionally, in 2022, approximately 23 percent of fentanyl powder and seven percent of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine. To prevent the proliferation of FAAX in communities and keep people safe, the bipartisan coalition of attorneys general urge Congress to pass the important measures outlined in the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act.
Attorneys general from others states and territories who signed the letter were from: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The letter to the Congressional Leadership was sent on behalf of the participating attorneys general by the National Association of Attorneys General.
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