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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it was taking action to restrict unlawful importing of the veterinary drug xylazine, which has been "increasingly found" in the nation's illicit drug supply. (Breen, 2/28)

The drug, known as “tranq” on the street, has alarmed public health experts, law enforcement officers and lawmakers already struggling to control an opioid crisis that is killing thousands each month. In recent years, the impact of xylazine has been particularly acute in Philadelphia, where the drug has been discovered in an overwhelming number of street opioid samples and as of 2019, in 31 percent of all victims of unintentional fatal overdoses in which fentanyl or heroin were detected. (Ovalle, 2/28)

Xylazine is typically sold as a liquid when used for veterinary purposes. However, as VICE News reported last March, hundreds of online vendors are selling powder forms of xylazine. One China-based seller told VICE News that xylazine had become a “hot” product among Americans in 2021. A report from the Drug Enforcement Administration from October found that a kilogram of xylazine powder can be bought from Chinese suppliers from $6-$20 per kilogram. “At this low price, its use as an adulterant may increase the profit for illicit drug traffickers, as its psychoactive effects allows them to reduce the amount of fentanyl or heroin used in a mixture,” the report said. (Krishnan, 2/28)

The opioid epidemic in Maryland has entered a new and uncertain phase. Xylazine — also called “tranq” and “zombie drug” — is showing up more and more in the illicit drug supply across the state. ... The drug’s telltale signs are gruesome wounds near the injection sight. “We’re talking about pretty big wounds here — exposing both bone and actual muscles, tendons — very, very significant deep wounds,” said Dr. Malik Burnett, the director of the Center for Harm Reduction Services at the Maryland Department of Health. “Very much in the framework of amputation level.” (Garrett, 3/1)

There’s a dangerous new drug out there that’s been devastating U.S. cities for the past year and it does not respond to the lifesaving anti-opioid drug Narcan. ... The lack of awareness and testing for Xylazine could mean its real impact has been underreported. Many county coroner’s offices do not test for it. (Price, 2/28)

West Virginia’s Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would make it a felony to possess fentanyl and some other illegal drugs in the opioid-ravaged state. The bill passed on a 32-1 vote and now goes before the House of Delegates. The regular session ends March 11. (Raby, 2/28)

An influx of fentanyl into Alaska in the last two years has vexed law enforcement, overwhelmed health systems and deeply affected struggling Native communities. In 2020 and 2021, the synthetic opioid was a major contributor in a spike in overdoses – the nation's largest, according to Alaska's public health department. In 2021, overdose deaths jumped by 74% in one year, with fentanyl deaths spiking by 150%, the report said. (Tabachnick, 3/1)