Earlier in August, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the U.S. state has moved to reclassify the drug xylazine as a Schedule I controlled substance with an exemption for veterinary use. Xylazine is used as a veterinary sedative and muscle relaxant and is not authorized for human use. It acts as an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist and has been increasingly found as an adulterant in illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin.
“By providing an exemption for xylazine for this limited purpose, we are protecting access for legitimate veterinary use while keeping this dangerous substance out of the hands of drug dealers and abusers,” said Uthmeier in a social media post.
Following reclassification, only veterinarians would be authorized to obtain the xylazine, and livestock producers would only be able to access the drug from veterinarians. Currently, xylazine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is considered the safest sedative for cattle and other large animals.
“The Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA) supports the xylazine veterinary exemption proposed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier,” the FVMA said in a released statement. “The necessity and importance of the exemption is that it will enable veterinarians to have access to a critical, effective, and safe sedative when medically necessary evaluations, treatments, and surgical care are required for the health and welfare of animals. The FVMA has engaged in crucial efforts for this exemption due to our mission of advancing the veterinary medical profession, promoting animal health and well-being, and protecting public health.”
Moreover, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also supported the decision, saying it creates a balance between protecting agriculture and preventing criminal misuse. “Drug abuse is not a victimless crime,” Simpson said. “It robs children of parents, hurts our economy, and makes Floridians less free.”
In his interview with Yahoo News, Dr. Kent Mathias, a psychiatrist and addiction-medicine doctor at the University of Florida, said that people inadvertently take xylazine because it is present as an adulterant in illicit street drugs. “The whole goal of this, obviously, is to make the drug seem more powerful so they can get more money for it while putting less of the actual drug into,” Dr. Mathias said. “It seems that they are using the veterinary drugs because no one’s really looking for them at first and it’s hard to test for.”
