When fentanyl arrived, the state wasted time and resources responding with punishment instead of public health.
and stimulants continue to climb across the state, public health and harm reduction advocates are bracing for the arrival of another new, synthetic adulterant in the street-drug supply: xylazine. This sedative medication used in veterinary medicine and not approved for use in humans is increasingly being mixed in with other drugs, most oftenIt is all but certain that xylazine will further contaminate an already contaminated drug supply in our state.
Some states are already getting it wrong. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently submitted a notice of intent to temporarily add xylazine to the list of Schedule 3 drugs under Pennsylvania's Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act. His rationale:"Scheduling these drugs allows us to put tighter controls, security and record-keeping requirements in place to keep them out of communities.” We know from experience with other drugs that this approach is misguided.
Second, we need legislators and government officials to listen to public health experts as well as addiction and infectious disease specialists on effective approaches. Unfortunately, the opioid blocker naloxone doesn’t work against xylazine — xylazine is not an opioid. Criminalizing xylazine use and incarcerating people who possess it will only worsen health outcomes, considering the severe skin infections that can arise from its use.
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