WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) penned an op-ed in The Hill with Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), making the case for their legislation, which cracks down on the use of illicit xylazine while protecting its legitimate use by veterinarians and ranchers.
In the op-ed, the members wrote in part,"America’s opioid epidemic has entered a new and especially dangerous phase, as synthetic fentanyl and deadly additives devastate families and communities across the country. Congress must act now to equip law enforcement with the resources and tools they need to keep communities safe, while preventing unintended consequences on hardworking veterinarians, farmers and ranchers. Today, foreign-manufactured, illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances drive the opioid epidemic. Despite being 50 to 100 times stronger than their prescription counterparts, these synthetic opioids are often mixed with toxic cutting agents to increase potency and street value, while decreasing production costs."
They continued later in the piece,"That’s why, over the last two years, we’ve worked with congressional colleagues, federal agencies, and stakeholders like the American Veterinary Medical Association to craft a solution that achieves both goals, titled the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. Our bipartisan, bicameral bill classifies xylazine as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act, and contains several statutory provisions to preserve veterinary professionals’ access and provide the DEA transparency into xylazine’s market.
The members concluded,"The Combating Illicit Xylazine Actis a commonsense solution that will help keep deadly xylazine off the streets, without threatening the livelihood of farmers and ranchers nationwide. We urge our colleagues in Congress to join us in support of this legislation and work swiftly to pass it into law."
You can read the full op-ed HERE or by clicking the image below.
Background:
In February of this year, Rep. Pfluger and his colleagues reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. This legislation would crack down on the deadly fentanyl additive xylazine by listing xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance while protecting the drug’s legal use by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers. This legislation previously passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary tranquilizer that is being used as a low-cost cutting agent for fentanyl.The bipartisan legislation would schedule this dangerous drug and give law enforcement the tools they need to go after traffickers while protecting access for veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers who use xylazine to treat large animals. The bill is endorsed by39 state attorneys general, major law enforcement organizations, and veterinary organizations.
