(Washington, DC) U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says momentum for passing his bipartisan bill to impose new xylazine restrictions is growing. The Iowa Republican introduced the bill with Nevada Democrat Catherine Cortez Masto to classify the zombie drug as a Schedule 3 substance and enable the Drug Enforcement Agency to monitor its manufacturing. Grassley says the bill has 23 co-sponsors in the Senate and 88 in the U.S. House. He adds veterinarians and farmers will still be allowed to use xylazine as a tranquilizer for their animals, as it is intended to be used.
Xylazine is increasingly found in the US illegal drug supply and is linked to overdose deaths. It is not approved for use in people—it can be life-threatening and is especially dangerous when combined with opioids like fentanyl. Due to its impact on the opioid crisis, fentanyl mixed with xylazine has been declared an emerging threat.
