Caraveo’s first bill in Congress targets xylazine, a tranquilizer often mixed with fentanyl

U.S. Rep. Yarida Caraveo, a Thornton Democrat, on Thursday was to introduce her first bill since starting her first term in Congress, a measure that targets xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer linked to a rising number of overdoses across the country. 

Introduced as bipartisan legislation alongside Georgia Republican Rep. Mike Collins, the Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality (TRANQ) Research Act will direct more research on emerging illicit drugs containing xylazine, according to a news release from Caraveo’s office. Xylazine is not approved for human use, but studies have found the drug is frequently mixed with other illicit drugs like fentanyl. 

Caraveo is a pediatrician representing Colorado’s newly formed 8th Congressional District. Colorado has seen increasing overdose deaths due to fentanyl, with at least 1,881 drug overdose deaths across the state being related to fentanyl or meth in 2021. According to a report from Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, fentanyl is the main driver of addiction and overdose in the country today and is the leading cause of preventable death among Americans age 18-45. 

According to the news release, the DEA has found xylazine mixed with fentanyl in 48 of the 50 states, with Colorado being one of them. In 2022, DEA laboratories found xylazine in 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA. 

KDVR reported that xylazine — also known as “tranq” or the “zombie drug” — is more common in the Northeast, but the West is seeing an increased presence, and two overdoses from the drug were reported in Colorado since mid-2021. 

“Addictive, dangerous substances like opioids have wreaked havoc in Colorado — and we have to begin now to stop xylazine in its tracks,” Caraveo said in a statement. “I’m proud to introduce my first piece of legislation, a bipartisan effort to start gathering the information we need to head off the next major addictive substance. This important effort will help keep our families safe and let those who are hurting focus on healing from the opioid crisis.”

Should the bill pass, it would direct the secretary of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to focus additional research to learn more about xylazine and potentially new synthetic opioids. The news release said a forensic science team at NIST has worked on new tools to speed up the public health response to newly emerging synthetic drugs.