NOVI (WWJ) A Michigan State House representative is working on legislation to combat what the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) calls a worsening of “the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced.”
A dangerous animal tranquilizer, xylazine, is starting to permeate illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin, the DEA said.
It goes by the street name “Tranq.” Because it’s marketed as an FDA-approved veterinary drug for large animals such horses, and is not deemed a controlled substance, law enforcement has no grounds to stop it from entering their jurisdictions.
“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” DEA administrator Anne Milgram said in a statement. “DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 states. The DEA Laboratory is reporting that in 2022 approximately 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine.”
In Michigan, in 2023, that number has increased nearly four fold. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard told multiple news outlets xylazine was present in 80 to 85% of the drugs they test in their laboratories.
The DEA said the presence of xylazine increases the chance that a person will die of a fatal drug poisoning. Because it’s not an opioid, naxolone (Narcan) does not reverse the effects of it.
Xylazine is not approved for human use. According to the FDA, it can cause a wide variety of symptoms including central nervous system and respiratory depression, hypothermia, and dangerously slow heart rate. Numerous cases of skin necrosis have been reported when injected, both at the injection site and elsewhere on the body, the FDA said.
State House Representative Kelly Breen, D-Novi, is drafting legislation to make the drug illegal and less accessible in Michigan.
People can have it shipped to their house via UPS right now, Bouchard said in an interview with WXYZ.
“Our worst opioid epidemic is compounded by using a drug that is only meant for large animals,” Breen wrote on Twitter, “Banning xylazine is the first step in combatting this problem.”
If passed, Breen’s legislation would make xylazine a Schedule II Narcotic, along with other highly addictive drugs including oxycodone, morphine, codeine and fentanyl. Xylazine would only be available to licensed veterinarians for its intended use.
Breen hopes to introduce the legislation as soon as next week.
The CDC reported 2,993 drug overdose deaths in Michigan last year. Nationwide, the the death toll was over 105,000.