The UK government has introduced legislation in Parliament to ban xylazine and 21 other dangerous drugs to combat drug deaths and target drug trafficking gangs.
The move, part of the government’s broader initiative, follows a recommendation from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).
Xylazine, commonly referred to as tranq, is a potent veterinary sedative that has increasingly been used alongside opioids like heroin to extend the effects of each dose at a lower cost.
It has also been discovered in cannabis vapes. The drug’s severe effects on long-term users, including immobilisation and persistent skin lesions, have led to its nickname, the zombie drug.
Xylazine is among 22 harmful substances slated for prohibition under the new legislation. Of these, six will be designated as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The legislation also targets new variations of nitazenes, a synthetic opioid that is more potent than heroin, increasing the risk of accidental overdose.
Additionally, the statutory instrument will establish a new generic definition of nitazenes to close loopholes that might be exploited by drug gangs seeking to evade UK drug laws through minor modifications of their synthetic compounds.
These changes are anticipated to take effect later this year or early in 2025, depending on the progress of the parliamentary process.
UK Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “We have seen what has happened in other countries when the use of these drugs is allowed to grow out of control, and this is why we are among the first countries to take action and protect our communities from these dangerous new drugs.
“The criminals who produce, distribute and profit from these drugs will therefore face the full force of the law, and the changes being introduced this week will also make it easier to crack down on those suppliers who are trying to circumvent our controls.”
The new legislation will also regulate 16 substances as Class C drugs.
In April 2023, the White House designated xylazine combined with fentanyl as an “emerging drug threat”, which facilitated the creation of a federal action plan to address this issue.
Xylazine will continue to be available for veterinary use but only under lawful prescription.
