The Biden-Harris administration launched this morning a national response plan to address the increasing presence of fentanyl combined with the animal tranquilizer xylazine and to lower overdose deaths from the lethal combination by 15%.
“If we thought fentanyl was dangerous, fentanyl combined with xylazine is even deadlier,” the director of National Drug Control Policy for the White House, Rahul Gupta, told reporters on Thursday.
GOP WHIP REPORTS MASSIVE FUNDRAISING HAUL AS PARTY FIGHTS TO KEEP HOUSE MAJOIRTY
Xylazine, which is a legal substance for veterinary medicine, drops human blood pressure to dangerous levels when taken with fentanyl and also creates soft tissue wounds and skin ulcers.
Those who overdose on a fentanyl-xylazine combination, which is designed to prolong the high, are also less susceptible to the life-saving effects of naloxone, or Narcan.
“Since we announced the emerging drug threat earlier this year, we’ve been working tirelessly to create the best plan of attack to address this dangerous and deadly substance head-on,” Gupta said. “This will be an all-hands-on-deck effort, but I am confident we can take action together and eradicate this emerging threat.”
Gupta designated fentanyl-xylazine as an emerging threat in April, opening the door for greater executive resources to combat this sector of the opioid epidemic.
The Drug Enforcement Administration reported in January that xylazine, which has been present illicitly in the Northeast heroin market for years, is increasing across the country. A total of 3,089 xylazine-positive overdoses were detected in 2021, representing a 1,127% increase in the South and a 750% increase in the West compared to 2020 levels. Forensic laboratory investigations also found nearly a 100% increase in identifications of xylazine.
Increasing testing and data collection capacities is a critical first step in Gupta’s plan in order to “get a national picture of the threat” and “inform a comprehensive response.”
The administration is also working with experts in the field to increase evidence-based treatment and prevention strategies, as well as direct greater research resources towards understanding the social and behavioral effects of the increasing prevalence of xylazine.
White House officials confirmed for reporters that xylazine is coming into the United States via established illicit trade routes from China and Puerto Rico and is being combined with fentanyl both in Mexico and domestically.
Administration officials also informed reporters that they were exploring the option of placing xylazine on the federal scheduling of illicit drugs for human consumption to address the combined public health, national security, and homeland security threats.
Gupta also announced that Vice President Kamala Harris would be holding a meeting next week with states attorneys general to discuss strategies for dealing with the fentanyl crisis writ large.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Although declaring fentanyl-xylazine an emerging threat created pathways for executive action, White House officials told reporters that fully addressing the threat would require greater legislative action from Congress and passing President Joe Biden’s full budget, including earmarked provisions for emerging threats.
“To the parents, to loved ones, to community leaders, and those affected by xylazine, I want you to know this: Help is on the way,” Gupta said.
