Even though xylazine, also known as ‘tranq’ or the ‘zombie drug,’ has been causing overdoses for several years, the powerful animal tranquilizer is still not classified as a federally controlled substance. Now, 40 Attorneys General are urging Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would classify xylazine as a federally controlled substance and give law enforcement more tools to curb its distribution.
Xylazine is a powerful veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use. In recent years, it has increasingly been mixed with fentanyl, creating a highly dangerous combination tied to overdoses.
This drug’s nicknames are due to the drug’s horrific side effects, which include skin rotting, open sores, and a disoriented gait. The excessive drowsiness caused by the drug can give users a zombie-like appearance, and it can even cause skin to rot down to the bone.
“According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the number of fatalities involving xylazine is increasing exponentially. The DEA reports that xylazine’s prevalence is increasing, and it is now in all 50 States,” the attorneys general wrote.
Emily’s Hope first highlighted the growing concern in 2023, when the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy designated the combination of fentanyl and xylazine as an emerging national threat.
While xylazine is not currently classified as a controlled substance at the federal level, many states have taken action on their own, though classifications vary.
In South Dakota, the legislature passed House Bill 1028 in 2024, which makes the use and possession of xylazine a crime in the state outside of veterinary livestock purposes.
The letter is led by the Attorneys General of New York, Arkansas, Connecticut, and Tennessee. Other Attorney Generals joining the letter are from: American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
