South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley is joining 40 other attorneys general in urging Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which would classify xylazine as a federally controlled substance.
Xylazine, often called “tranq,” is a veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use and is frequently mixed with fentanyl and other opioids. Because it does not respond to naloxone, officials say it significantly increases the risk of fatal overdoses.
“I have long stressed the public health dangers of xylazine,” Jackley said, noting South Dakota has already taken action to address the drug while protecting its legitimate use for livestock.
In 2024, South Dakota lawmakers passed legislation proposed by Jackley that criminalizes the possession and use of xylazine outside of veterinary purposes.
The letter to Congress is led by the attorneys general of New York, Arkansas, Connecticut and Tennessee, with more than three dozen other states and territories, including South Dakota, signing on.
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