When the federal government labels the fentanyl–xylazine combination an “emerging threat” to the nation, the alarm is justified; however, for veterinarians, xylazine is not a street drug—it is an essential sedative, used across our profession to ensure the safe handling and humane care of many species in clinical, farm, research, and wildlife settings.
AVMA-championed legislation demonstrates that we don’t have to choose between combating illicit xylazine and protecting this indispensable tool of veterinary medicine; Smart policy can and must do both.
In recent years, illicitly manufactured xylazine has been increasingly found across the country unlawfully mixed with fentanyl, also known as “tranq”. An emerging threat to the United States, illicit xylazine poses grave health and safety risks for humans. Xylazine is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved prescription animal sedative utilized by veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers for the safe handling and care of many animal species. Addressing this potent drug combination without preserving xylazine’s legal use jeopardizes human safety and animal welfare.
Currently, the Drug Enforcement Administration is in the process of making xylazine a controlled drug; however, scheduling of xylazine by the DEA without the necessary statutory changes will limit how veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers use the animal drug and increase the risk of supply disruption or worse, cause animal health professionals to lose it from the marketplace altogether. Xylazine is a low-volume, low-margin generic animal drug. If regulatory burden or facility investments are too high, the few remaining manufacturers will likely choose to discontinue production.
Veterinarians across the country are extremely reliant on this animal sedative as it facilitates the safe handling and treatment of many species and is particularly important for the treatment of cattle, horses, and wildlife. In cattle, xylazine is the only safe and effective sedative drug. There is no alternative.
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In response to the rise of illicit xylazine being found in the U.S. drug supply, the AVMA worked with Congress, federal agencies, and other stakeholders for more than three years on a solution that resulted in the bipartisan Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. The proposed legislation schedules xylazine as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act and contains several statutory changes designed to preserve the critical legitimate veterinary uses of the drug and keep it viable as a drug in the U.S. market, as well as providing the DEA transparency into the market.
During the previous Congress, language containing core components of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. After passage, the language was then updated with input from the DEA, Department of Justice, Health and Human Services, and other stakeholders. All this work led to the reintroduction of the current Combating Illicit Xylazine Act (H.R. 1266/ S. 545) to the 119th Congress. The bipartisan bill is supported by numerous law enforcement organizations, the DEA, and all 50 state veterinary medical organizations.
Passage of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act is a federal solution that would also alleviate the growing patchwork of state-by-state xylazine restrictions across the U.S. More than half of the states have xylazine-related legislation or regulations that have been proposed, passed, or implemented.
Without Congress enacting this legislation, the DEA lacks the authority to make the necessary changes to the Controlled Substances Act that veterinarians, livestock producers, and researchers need to maintain access to xylazine and allow the DEA transparency into the legitimate drug marketplace.
The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act strikes the right balance of helping protect our communities from illicit xylazine while preserving its legal use. Inaction from Congress will disrupt the legitimate supply chain of legal xylazine, endanger human safety and animal welfare, as well as block the DEA’s ability to track the legitimate supply. Any delay compromises the ability of law enforcement to combat the illicit xylazine in this country and weakens the nation’s public and animal health infrastructure.
Xylazine’s role in the opioid crisis is a real and rising threat. The veterinary community is urging Congress to swiftly pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, so law enforcement is provided with the resources necessary to address illicit xylazine while safeguarding the availability of prescription xylazine and its responsible, veterinary uses.
Michael Bailey is president of the American Veterinary Medical Association