US Declares Laced Fentanyl , an 'Emerging Threat' , Facing the Nation.
On April 12, the Biden administration's drug czar
declared that fentanyl mixed with an animal tranquilizer
presents an "emerging threat" in the U.S.
NBC reports that xylazine, an animal tranquilizer
often referred to as "tranq," has been linked to an
increasing number of overdose deaths in the U.S.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug
Control Policy, called on the Biden administration to
create a federal plan to address the worsening crisis.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office of National Drug
Control Policy, called on the Biden administration to
create a federal plan to address the worsening crisis.
The agency's declaration gives the administration
90 days to publish a response plan and provide
implementation guidance within 120 days.
As the president’s drug policy
adviser, I am deeply concerned
about what this threat means for
the nation. We must act and act now, Dr. Rahul Gupta, the director of the Office
of National Drug Control Policy, via NBC.
NBC reports that the historic announcement
marks the first time in U.S. history that an illicit drug
has formally been labeled an "emerging threat.".
NBC reports that the historic announcement
marks the first time in U.S. history that an illicit drug
has formally been labeled an "emerging threat.".
The agency gained legal authority to require federal
action under the SUPPORT Act, which was signed
into law by former President Donald Trump in 2018.
The agency gained legal authority to require federal
action under the SUPPORT Act, which was signed
into law by former President Donald Trump in 2018.
According to the National Institutes of Health, opioids
like fentanyl are increasingly being combined with
xylazine and trafficked on the illicit drug market.
The Food and Drug Administration warns
that xylazine is not approved for human use
and can result in life-threatening effects.
Xylazine is making the deadliest
drug threat our country has ever
faced, fentanyl, even deadlier, Anne Milgram, DEA Administrator, via statement