Maryland’s top lawyer is joining a list of 39 state attorneys general in advocating Congress to crack down on the drug xylazine, which is showing up in illicit drugs and contributing to a spike in overdoses and other health issues.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown signed onto a letter asking Congress to pass the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act, which has been introduced in both houses.

The bill would classify xylazine as a controlled substance and allows the Drug Enforcement Agency to track the manufacture and sale of the drug.

Xylazine is currently legal and used as a tranquilizer for horses. However, the DEA has seen it mixed with fentanyl and other drugs. It is used to increase the effects of those drugs.

The drug is commonly referred to as Tranq and is known for causing flesh wounds at the injection site. Treatments like naloxone will not work with Tranq because it is not an opioid.

The DEA says there has been a dramatic increase in xylazine-related deaths over the past few years, including more than 1,200 in the northeast alone. Nearly a quarter of fentanyl seized in 2022 had xylazine in it.

“I am acutely aware of the extreme dangers and devastating impact inflicted upon families and communities by illicit drugs. We have witnessed the profound devastation caused by substances like fentanyl – families torn apart, communities shattered, lives tragically lost,” Brown said. “We cannot afford a wait-and-see approach. We must take decisive action to protect our communities and prevent suffering and harm that would arise from the misuse and trafficking of this dangerous substance. This legislation seeks to do just that.”

The Combating Illicit Xylazine Act has not had any movement in committee or on the Congressional floor.