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Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Andrew Mitrovica
Rachel Marsden
Tarik Cyril Amar
Warren J. Blumenfeld
Dr Ramzy Baroud
Patrick Gathara
Imad K Harb
Brad Glosserman
Attempts to ban an emerging drug threat are repeating the mistakes of the drug war, experts caution
Illicit fentanyl, the powerful opioid that is involved in more than 100,000 fatal drug overdoses every year, has completely shifted underground drug markets. In some places, it has completely replaced other opioids like heroin. The unpredictable nature of "dope" is part of what makes it so deadly.
But a now a new drug is complicating the drug supply with even more grisly results. It's called xylazine, a commonly-used animal tranquilizer veterinarians routinely employ in their practice. For many years, in places like Puerto Rico and Philadelphia, xylazine has been mixed with heroin (and now, fentanyl) in what is known on the streets as "tranq dope." However, the drug mixture is increasingly spreading to new markets.
When injected, xylazine can cause devastating wounds, such as skin lesions that can become infected and in severe cases lead to amputation or even death. It also dangerously sedates people for up to eight hours, sometimes in vulnerable positions, while also complicating emergency responses in the case of an overdose.
Related
Following the Biden Administration’s plan to address the growing prevalence of xylazine and the Drug Enforcement Agency’s warning against the drug issued in March, this month, Congress passed legislation restricting xylazine as a schedule III controlled substance, the same tier drugs like ketamine and buprenorphine (Suboxone) are placed in. It's a rank less regulated than fentanyl, marijuana and LSD, which are in schedule I.
If the bill is passed by the Senate and signed by the president, those caught possessing, selling, manufacturing or transporting xylazine can face criminal penalties of up to 15 years in prison plus fines under the bill.
The legislation, officially named the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization (SUPPORT) Act of 2023, also increases access to opioid reversal medications like naloxone and medication-assisted treatment like buprenorphine or methadone for Medicaid beneficiaries, among other initiatives.
Those caught possessing, selling,........
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