The United States Drug Enforcement Agency says xylazine is becoming a major threat to the country as the nation sees it mixed with an already deadly drug — fentanyl.

Law enforcement has linked xylazine to hundreds of overdose deaths across New York state.

What You Need To Know

  • There's an effort in New York state and across the U.S. to prevent xylazine-related drug overdose deaths

  • Sen. Chuck Schumer announced a three-pronged plan

  • Xylazine is also known as "tranq," "tranq dope," and "zombie drug" and is a legal drug approved for use by veterinarians to treat horses and other large animals

Officials say it's also known as “tranq,” “tranq dope” and “zombie drug.” Xylazine is a legal drug approved for use by veterinarians to treat horses and other large animals.

"It's a terrifying drug," said U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is announcing plans to tackle the problem. "These evil drug traffickers who are always figuring out ways to hurt our kids and our people have figured out that when you lace xylazine with fentanyl or heroin or some other drug the high is even greater.”

Schumer stopped in Wayne County and other locations to talk about his efforts to help control the problem.

"Xylazine is a deadly skin-rotting drug,” Schumer said. “[It’s] a drug [that] when injected can cause severe wounds in the skin all the way to the bone.”

Bringing more danger, xylazine and fentanyl drug mixtures place users at a higher risk of suffering fatal drug overdoses because naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, does not reverse the effects of the drug, as it can for fentanyl.

“It’s bringing a horrific wave of drug overdoses and deaths here in upstate New York," said Schumer.

In fact, the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory System is reporting that in 2022, approximately 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the agency contained xylazine.

“So we want to stop this from going and stop this from growing now," said the Senate majority leader, who is announcing a three-pronged approach to tackle the problem. It includes calling on the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate its operations to track down the sources of xylazine.

“A lot of this drug comes from China," said Schumer.

He is also proposing to give nearly $537 million in new funds to a program to help stop the trafficking of the drug. And he is calling for new boosts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

As the DEA states, it is all an effort to prevent the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced from becoming even deadlier.