Poster #3 - A Call to New Hampshire State Legislators: Expediting Xylazine to be a State Level Controlled Substance

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

In the small New England state known as New Hampshire, communities are ravaged by opioid addiction and overdose. Despite this, a new substance, xylazine is inserted into the supply of established street drugs. Xylazine is a popular veterinary tranquilizer, unapproved for human use that debuted in illicit narcotics such as fentanyl and heroin. After gaining nationwide media coverage, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy declared xylazine as an emerging threat to the United States; however, the drug falls into a caveat under the Controlled Substance Act as it is not amended into the statue. Federal legislative commitments from agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have not been timely in response to the trends seen, as New Hampshire is swept into the category of states seeing an increase of xylazine in toxicology reports. Other states such as Massachusetts and Florida have designated action to this concern and within state jurisdiction have scheduled the substance locally. This poster aims to gather resources, primarily at the state level, to effectively suggest scheduling of the substance, as data analysis indicates the need for rapid regulatory action from New Hampshire state legislature.

Author

• Kaylee A. McGlynn, Southern New Hampshire University