PITTSBURGH — This week, the Shapiro administration and acting health secretary Dr. Debra Bogen announced that the sedative tranquilizer xylazine, also known as tranq, would be listed as a Schedule III controlled substance.
The administration said the categorization was an attempt to curb deaths and restrict illicit supply. “The steps we are taking today will help ensure this dangerous drug can’t be diverted from legitimate sources to the drug dealers harming our communities, while preserving its important use on animals,” said Gov. Josh Shapiro in the news release. Xylazine is not approved for use in humans and has been tagged by the DEA as a public safety concern when mixed with fentanyl.
But officials working on the ground with communities impacted by xylazine say the scheduling will not reduce tranq from the drug supply and will instead promote the criminalization of those who use and sell drugs, when evidence shows Black and brown people often get harsher sentencing compared to their white counterparts.
