Attorney General Bonta Urges Federal Crackdown on “Tranq” as Xylazine Abuse Surges

AG Bonta again calls on U.S. Congress to classify the animal tranquilizer xylazine, commonly called "tranq" and frequently combined with illicit fentanyl, as a controlled substance

OAKLAND - California Attorney General Bonta today, as part of a coalition of 41 attorneys general, sent another letter to Congress in support of the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. This federal legislation seeks to place new regulations on xylazine, which is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer used for large animals like horses and deer, and is not approved for use in humans. In recent years, the tranquilizer has increasingly been found combined with illicit fentanyl by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) with reports that 23% of the illicit fentanyl powder and 7% of the illicit fentanyl pills tested by the agency contain xylazine.

"To turn the tide on the fentanyl crisis, we have to deploy every resource available and demand accountability from those fueling it," said Attorney General Bonta. "Xylazine's growing presence in the illicit drug supply is intensifying the danger communities face in California and nationwide. We are once again calling on Congress to step up, close this gap in federal law, and classify xylazine as a controlled substance. States are standing together because the consequences of delay are measured in lives lost each day to fentanyl-related overdoses."

Xylazine often causes fatal overdose and because it's not an opioid, it does not respond to Naloxone (NARCAN). Its prevalence stems in part from the fact that it is cheap and legal. The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act seeks to change that by classifying xylazine as a Schedule III drug, restricting its legal use outside of certain approved purposes. The Act also provides critical tools that will enable the DEA to track its manufacturing, prevent diversion, and mandate analysis and reporting on the illicit use of xylazine.

Right now, the lack of restrictions on illicit xylazine makes it easy for criminal syndicates to transport it and for dealers to sell it. As long as it remains legal, it will remain an easy-to-acquire and dangerous drug. This letter acts as part of the multifaceted approach to the fentanyl crisis that utilizes ongoing enforcement, litigation, and effective public policy strategies for prevention. It includes holding the opioid industry accountable by obtaining judgments and using that money to fund treatment and interventions for drug addiction - especially for vulnerable youth - as well as providing outreach and awareness initiatives, increasing the availability of Naloxone (NARCAN), and supporting job creation programs for those recovering from substance use disorder.

In sending this letter, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of American Samoa, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, U.S. Virgin Islands, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Here is a copy of the letter.