MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Marty Jackley is joining a nationwide effort to crack down on the growing threat of xylazine, a drug increasingly linked to fatal overdoses.
Jackley, along with more than 40 other attorneys general, is urging Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would classify the drug as a controlled substance at the federal level.
Xylazine, often referred to as “tranq,” is a veterinary tranquilizer that is not approved for human use. Health officials say the drug is increasingly being mixed with opioids such as fentanyl, creating a more dangerous and often deadly combination.
One of the major concerns is that xylazine does not respond to naloxone, a medication commonly used to reverse opioid overdoses. This makes overdoses involving the drug more difficult to treat and increases the risk of death.
Jackley said South Dakota has already taken action to address the issue. A 2024 state law made the illegal use and possession of xylazine a crime outside of legitimate livestock purposes.
He said federal action is now needed to further limit access to the drug and reduce its presence in illegal drug mixtures nationwide.
Officials say the proposed legislation would give law enforcement additional tools to combat the spread of xylazine and help address its growing role in overdose deaths across the country.