Target: Dr. Robert (Robbie) Goldstein, Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Goal: Adopt emergency controls and permanent rules that curb alleged diversion of the animal sedative xylazine, mandate real-time tracking and testing, and protect animals and people from further harm.
Massachusetts faces a fast-moving crisis. The state’s Special Commission on Xylazine heard that this veterinary tranquilizer now turns up in a large share of drug samples, with toxicology links to a growing portion of overdose deaths. Xylazine is not approved for human use. It can slow breathing, drop blood pressure, and leave devastating wounds that rot skin and tissue. The rise in detections suggests an illicit supply chain that diverts veterinary stock, mixes it with opioids like fentanyl, and floods communities without warning or labeling.
Public presentations to the commission describe a sharp increase in xylazine findings over recent years, with community drug-checking programs and medical examiners sounding alarms. Front-line responders face scenes where people present with profound sedation, shallow respirations, and necrotic ulcers that standard overdose protocols cannot reverse. These harms ripple back to animals too. Any diversion from clinics, farms, or distributors risks shortages and misuses that undercut legitimate veterinary care. Unchecked gray-market sales online and informal channels reportedly make matters worse.
Policy must catch up to science. Massachusetts can act now with a layered response that targets alleged illicit sourcing and improves care. That means emergency scheduling aligned with federal guidance, hard inventory controls for veterinary suppliers, mandatory purchaser verification, real-time sales logs, and rapid takedown of unlawful online listings. It also means universal hospital toxicology panels that include xylazine, wound-care protocols, data sharing to spot hotspots, and grants for shelters and large-animal vets to tighten stewardship. The state should move quickly to codify these steps and close loopholes that allow alleged diversion to persist.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Commissioner Goldstein,
We urge the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to implement emergency and permanent measures that respond decisively to the surge of xylazine in the illicit drug supply. Test data presented to your Special Commission on Xylazine indicate widespread detections and rising links to overdose fatalities. This veterinary sedative is not approved for people, yet it is being mixed with street fentanyl and distributed without disclosure, creating severe medical complications and overwhelming first responders.
Please pair public-health safeguards with supply-side controls that target diversion. We ask you to: emergency-schedule xylazine under state law in coordination with federal actions, require tight inventory controls and purchaser verification for veterinary-use sales, mandate real-time distributor logs accessible to regulators, and coordinate with the Attorney General to remove unlawful online listings. We also ask you to require xylazine-inclusive toxicology testing in emergency settings, issue statewide wound-care and clinical guidance, and fund surveillance that can rapidly identify hotspots and inform outreach.
These steps will protect communities and help preserve legitimate veterinary access for animals who need this medication. By closing loopholes that enable diversion and improving clinical readiness, Massachusetts can prevent further injuries and deaths while supporting humane, responsible animal care. We respectfully request swift action.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Thirdman
