The United States is facing a new drug epidemic. The country announced on Wednesday that it would designate xylazine, nicknamed “Tranq,” as an “emerging threat,” specifically to allow funds to be released to fight the drug, which is already wreaking havoc in the country. “This is the first time in our nation’s history that a substance has been designated as an emerging threat,” said Dr.
Xylazine, approved by the US Drug Administration (FDA) since 1972 as a veterinary sedative and analgesic, is not approved outside of animal use. In humans, its consumption can slow breathing and heart rate to dangerous levels and cause infections that can lead to limb amputations. Between 2020 and 2021, detection of xylazine by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) increased by almost 200% in the south of the country and more than 100% in the west.
“America’s Problem”
Designation as an emerging threat must allow for the use of funds President Joe Biden has requested from the United States Congress in his 2024 budget, Rahul Gupta said. “We need the support of Congress,” he said, so as not to divert money to other causes. “It’s not a problem of the states,” Democrat or Republican, “it’s a problem of America,” he pounded.
The government must submit an action plan to Congress within three months of its appointment, addressing several areas. Among them: more drug detection tests and analysis to better understand where it’s coming from – particularly if it’s diverted in the United States or from China – to better target its growing presence in the illicit market. Another focus is medical research.
I need an antidote
“We will bring together national experts in this field to guide the practice and identify the most promising approaches to clinical stabilization, withdrawal management and treatment protocols,” said Rahul Gupta. Also, “we need an antidote,” which to date doesn’t exist, he added.
Naloxone, an antidote that can revive a person in the process of an opioid (eg, fentanyl) overdose, is not effective against xylazine. Fentanyl and xylazine, both synthetic, are often found together in the same product, according to the DEA. In February, the US health authorities launched an “import alert” to better control shipments of xylazine to ensure they were actually intended for veterinary use.