Pennsylvania will classify xylazine as a schedule III drug, Gov. Shapiro announces

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Tuesday that his administration will join three other states by categorizing xylazine, a powerful veterinary sedative, as a Schedule III drug.

Xylazine, also known as tranq, is legal for veterinary use to sedate large animals, such as horses. But in recent years the drug has spread into fentanyl supplies across the country, including in Philadelphia and throughout Pennsylvania.

“This drug is a serious threat,” Shapiro said in Kensington, which has been the center of Pennsylvania’s opioid epidemic. “Even more so because a lot of times when people take it, they don’t even realize it’s mixed in with the fentanyl that they’re purchasing.”

» READ MORE: A powerful sedative in Philly’s drug supply is causing severe wounds and agonizing withdrawals. It’s quickly becoming unavoidable.

Making it a Schedule III drug would allow the state to require tighter record keeping, require that the drug be stored in locked facilities, and give law enforcement the ability to prosecute people for illegally possessing and selling it. What’s more, manufacturers must add additional checks to ensure that the person who ordered the drug is the one receiving it. Veterinarians will still have access to xylazine for their work, Shapiro added.

The Drug Enforcement Administration defines Schedule III drugs as those with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.

Pledging to stay ahead of emerging drug threats, Shapiro also announced that he would classify nitazenes, a class of synthetic opioids up to 40 times more powerful than fentanyl, as a Schedule I narcotic.

Shapiro said that as governor, his administration can reclassify substances that pose an imminent hazard to public safety.

The drugs will move to their new classifications in May. The administration has a year to formally make the regulatory change, which will not require legislation, said a spokesperson for the governor.

Shapiro also reaffirmed Tuesday that he opposes the creation of supervised-injection sites in Pennsylvania, to the applause of the crowd. Years-long settlement talks between the U.S. Department of Justice and nonprofit Safehouse may soon clear the way for such a site in Philadelphia, where people could use drugs under medical supervision.

“We’ll see what authority I have as governor to take action,” Shapiro said, adding that he supports legislation sponsored by Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D., Philadelphia) to ban the sites in the state. “Suffice to say, we’ll be prepared to take action should that become a reality.”

Shapiro was joined by local and state officials at Impact, an organization that helps people experiencing homelessness re-enter the workforce.

State Rep. Danilo Burgos (D., Philadelphia) said the xylazine announcement was a step in the right direction.

”People need to be aware that basically they’re being sold trash,” Burgos said about the street drug. “This is not just giving you a temporary high, it’s destroying your body.”

Xylazine’s emergence in Pennsylvania is an urgent issue that requires a multidisciplinary approach, according to Latika Davis-Jones, acting secretary of drug and alcohol programs.

“We know that substance use disorder... is a chronic, relapsing disease. It’s a medical condition. It’s not a crime, and it’s not a moral failing,” said Davis-Jones. “The longer we keep people alive, the greater the chance we have to get people into the care and treatment that they need and deserve.”

According to state data, xylazine contributed to 90 overdose deaths in 2017. By 2021, the drug contributed to 575 overdose deaths across 30 counties. That year, Philadelphia reported that 90% of street opioid samples contained xylazine.

In Philadelphia, epidemiologists believe xylazine was initially added to fentanyl to give the opioid a longer-lasting high, similar to that of heroin — except that xylazine is not an opioid, and its effects are more aggressive. Users report blacking out, forgetting things, and developing wounds in places throughout the body where they never injected.

Overdoses where xylazine is present are harder to reverse because the drug won’t respond to naloxone. Users say xylazine withdrawal can overcome the body quickly and aggressively, which can complicate treatment. The drug doesn’t respond to traditional opioid withdrawal medications.

Three other states — Ohio, Florida, and West Virginia — have similarly classified xylazine as a controlled substance. Shapiro’s announcement is part of a growing effort to curb the drug across the country.

In late February, the Food and Drug Administration announced restrictions on the import of the drug, making shipments of xylazine and products that contain it subject to “heightened FDA scrutiny.”

Philadelphia’s Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole has spoken out in support of the federal restrictions. She and Mayor Jim Kenney have called for the drug to be classified as a controlled substance at the federal level.

Those working in harm reduction, however, have raised concerns about what restrictions on xylazine could mean for people who are already dependent on the drug and whether a crackdown could give rise to newer, even more dangerous drugs.

Jane Roh, a spokesperson for District Attorney Larry Krasner, said in an email that Shapiro’s announcement would impact the health-care industry more than law enforcement, because xylazine is usually only found mixed with fentanyl or heroin, which are already Schedule I drugs.

Jasmin Velez, 29, of Kensington, said she’s hopeful the announcement would make a difference in the community.

”We know this crisis didn’t happen overnight,” Velez added. “It’s evident wherever you walk and you see people who are utilizing.”