ICYMI: In Continued Response to Overdose Epidemic, the White House Releases National Response Plan to Address the Emerging Threat of Fentanyl Combined with Xylazine
Washington, D.C. – Today, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released a National Response Plan to coordinate a whole-of-government response in the continued efforts to address the deadly combination of xylazine mixed with fentanyl. Earlier this spring, ONDCP Director Dr. Gupta used an executive designation authority to designate fentanyl combined with xylazine as an emerging threat to the United States and proactively address this dangerous threat head-on.
To read the full National Response Plan to Fentanyl Combined with Xylazine, click HERE.
See coverage below:
NPR: Deaths from xylazine are on the rise. The White House has a new plan to tackle it
[Deepa Shivaram, 7/11/23]
The White House is marshaling a new plan to try to beef up testing, tracking and treatment for street drugs laced with xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that has contributed to a surge of overdose deaths across the country.
[Nikki Carvajal, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration has introduced a new plan to combat overdose deaths from xylazine, a powerful veterinary sedative that has increasingly shown up in such deaths across the country, exacerbating the opioid overdose epidemic in the United States.
NBC: White House announces plan to cut ‘tranq dope’ in illicit drug supply
[Erika Edwards, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration is taking on the growing use of fentanyl laced with the animal tranquilizer xylazine with a plan to reduce overdose deaths from the drug combination, known as “tranq dope,” White House officials announced Tuesday.
CNBC: White House unveils plan to eliminate threat of fentanyl laced with xylazine
[Annika Kim Constantino, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration unveiled a plan Tuesday to eliminate the growing threat of fentanyl laced with xylazine, an illegal street drug cocktail that is fueling a wave of overdose deaths. The plan directs several federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Food and Drug Administration, to expand access to testing, prevention and overdose recovery resources. It also aims to disrupt the illegal xylazine supply chain, among other efforts.
Bloomberg: White House Seeks to Cut Xylazine Supply in Plan to Curb Deaths
[Madison Muller and Ilena Peng, 7/11/23]
The White House has developed a new strategy to reduce the growing number of overdose deaths linked to xylazine, a potent animal sedative that’s increasingly being combined with opioids and other drugs.
Axios: White House maps plan to reduce “zombie drug” overdose deaths
[Sabrina Moreno, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration on Tuesday released a national plan targeting the spread of xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that’s increasingly laced with fentanyl and is rapidly spreading through the illegal drug trade.
The Hill: White House launches national response plan for combatting ‘tranq’ drug deaths
[Nathaniel Weixel, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration is rolling out a national response plan to deal with the threat of fentanyl combined with xylazine. Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is an easily accessible veterinary drug approved for use in animals as a sedative and pain reliever. But it is also being used by drug dealers as a low-cost cutting agent in drugs like fentanyl, possibly as a way to extend a user’s high.
Roll Call: Biden administration offers plan to counter deadly xylazine use
[Jessie Hellmann, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration on Tuesday released its plan to tackle the proliferation of xylazine, a deadly drug that is increasingly contributing to drug overdose deaths in the United States. The plan’s public health component calls for increased testing and treatment and better data collection to track the spread of the drug and how it is contributing to overdose deaths. It also calls for using law enforcement to identify the sources of xylazine and disrupt the supply. And it calls for exploring whether to schedule the drug, which would give the government more authority to regulate it.
Forbes: White House Promises More Research Into Deadly ‘Zombie Drug’ Xylazine
[Robert Hart, 7/11/23]
The White House on Tuesday announced a tentative plan to tackle the growing threat of fentanyl laced with xylazine, a lethal and fast-spreading drug combination driving a wave of overdose deaths across the U.S., the scope of which, the White House acknowledges, is not entirely clear.
Washington Examiner: White House outlines plan to curb deaths from deadly fentanyl-xylazine combination
[Gabrielle M. Etzel, 7/11/23]
The Biden-Harris administration launched this morning a national response plan to address the increasing presence of fentanyl combined with the animal tranquilizer xylazine and to lower overdose deaths from the lethal combination by 15%.
MarketWatch: White House announces plan to address ‘zombie drug’ threat
[Eleanor Laise, 7/11/23]
The White House on Tuesday announced a government-wide plan to respond to a growing number of overdose deaths involving xylazine, also known as “tranq” and “the zombie drug,” a veterinary tranquilizer that can be particularly dangerous when mixed with opioids like fentanyl.
Scripps News: White House announces plan to fight fentanyl laced with xylazine
[Alex Arger, 7/11/23]
The White House has announced an official plan to address the “emerging threat” of fentanyl combined with xylazine, a drug combination proven lethal in an increasing number of Americans. Though the opioid fentanyl has already been an action item for the White House, its association with the non-opioid drug xylazine created a worsening issue to tackle.
Stat News: White House announces new plan to address the growing threat of xylazine in overdose crisis
[Lev Facher, 7/11/23]
The White House on Tuesday unveiled a new plan to address the growing presence of xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer, in the country’s illicit drug supply. In recent years, xylazine, which is commonly known as “tranq,” has helped to accelerate the already-deadly U.S. drug crisis. The drug is increasingly being mixed into illicit opioids like fentanyl, contributing to overdose spikes across the country, particularly in northeastern cities like Philadelphia and New York.
UPI: White House plan aims to tackle overdoses from fentanyl mixed with xylazine
[Clyde Hughes, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced a plan aiming to reduce overdose deaths by the deadly mix of fentanyl and the animal tranquilizer xylazine by 15% over the next three years. The White House said its National Response Plan will offer a “whole of government” effort focused on testing, data collection, evidence-based prevention, harm reduction and treatment, supply reduction, scheduling and research to address the overdose epidemic.
States Newsroom : White House rolls out strategy to battle deadly drug mixture of fentanyl and xylazine
[Ashley Murray, 7/11/23]
The White House is unveiling a plan to combat the growing threat of drug overdose deaths involving the combination of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and the powerful sedative xylazine, approved only for veterinary use.
Medpage Today: White House Drug Czar Releases Plan to Combat Xylazine-Laced Fentanyl
[Joyce Frieden, 7/11/23]
The Biden administration released a planopens in a new tab or window Monday to combat the problem of fentanyl being laced with xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer implicated in increasing numbers of overdose deaths.
The Messenger: White House Announces Six-Part Plan to Combat New Fentanyl Threat
[Rebecca Morin, 7/11/23]
The White House is rolling out a new plan Tuesday to combat the rising threat of fentanyl that is being combined with a veterinary tranquilizer. As fentanyl deaths have risen, the Biden administration has tried to crack down on fentanyl supply chains and to stop the flow of the drug coming into the U.S. from across the globe. Most recently, the administration has warned of a new concern surrounding deaths from fentanyl laced with an animal tranquilizer known as xylazine — sold on the streets as “tranq.”
Read the full National Response Plan to Fentanyl Combined with Xylazine HERE.
Read about the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to crack down on illicit fentanyl supply chains HERE.
Read the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy HERE.
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