On March 17, 2023, standing with local law enforcement and health leaders, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer revealed his three-pronged plan to combat the horrific rise in Xylazine, a deadly, skin-rotting zombie drug, also known as ‘Tranq,’ that is fueling a new wave of overdoses and deaths heading towards Watertown and spreading across the North Country. Schumer explained that Upstate communities cannot fight the scourge of this dangerous drug on streets alone and is calling for a major boost in federal support to combat drug trafficking and this public health crisis.

First, Schumer said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) needs to accelerate its operations to track down illicit sources of Xylazine that are plaguing Northeast, and Upstate New York in particular, to cut off supply that is flooding New York streets. Second, the senator detailed his new push to supercharge the federal COPS Hiring Program with nearly $537 million in new funds to help stop drug trafficking in its tracks. Third, Schumer said we need an all of the above approach to treat the overdose crisis, and said he is calling for new boosts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) appropriations, including grants that can be used to fund testing infrastructure for xylazine.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York

Chuck Around NY