Florida has moved to allow limited veterinary use of a sedative frequently added to fentanyl.
Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday announced a filing to reclassify xylazine under state law to ensure the veterinary and agriculture industries can continue to access the drug for animal care.
Xylazine is a controlled substance in Florida, meaning it is illegal to possess or sell. The change would retain the classification with a exemption for veterinary use.
“By providing an exemption for xylazine for this limited purpose, we are protecting access for legitimate veterinary use while keeping this dangerous substance out of the hands of drug dealers and abusers,” Uthmeier said in a prepared statement.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, xylazine is not a controlled substance under the federal Controlled Substance Act, but some states have placed it on their own controlled substances lists.
“People often use xylazine without knowing it when it is added to other drugs, most frequently fentanyl,” the institute said online.
Xylazine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in animals as a sedative and pain reliever. It is typically used with larger animals, such as horses and cattle.
The FDA in 2023 restricted the illegal importation of xylazine and ingredients used to make it.
The combination of fentanyl and xylazine creates a street drug known as “tranq.” According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, use of tranq can increase the potential for fatal overdoses.
A November 2022 warning from the FDA said xylazine may result in “serious and life-threatening side effects that appear to be similar to those commonly associated with opioid use, making it difficult to distinguish opioid overdoses from xylazine exposure.”
In April 2023, Ashley Moody, then Florida attorney general, issued a public safety alert about the dangers of a xylazine.
Under the new exemption, only licensed veterinarians would be able to obtain and dispense xylazine. Farmers would be able to get xylazine prescriptions only through veterinarians, while public sale and possession of the drug would otherwise remain illegal.
