John,

I try not to send too many “hair on fire emails” but I wanted to make sure I was informing you about a major issue in my district that is spreading fast.

There is a new dangerous street drug called xylazine and its effects are incredibly scary. It’s nicknamed the “zombie drug” because drug dealers are secretly lacing it with fentanyl. This combination is highly addictive and can even cause someone’s flesh to deteriorate at the injection site. It’s also resistant to narcan, meaning we’re seeing a huge spike in deaths.

Xylazine was originally developed as a tranquilizer for 1,000-pound horses, but now it has made its way onto our streets.

I tell you this not to scare you, but to make you aware of how important it is that we take the drug problems in our communities seriously. The opioid epidemic isn’t getting better - it’s getting worse and we need Congress to actually do something about it.

That’s why earlier this month, I pushed the Drug Enforcement Agency to focus on this “zombie drug” and cut off its sourcing. Our families’ health and safety depend on it.

I’m happy to report that after my pushing, the Biden Administration has declared xylazine an emerging threat. This is an important designation that will make it easier for law enforcement to immediately deal with the upsurge. However, we still have a ton of work to do to get this under control.

Thanks for letting me share what I’ve been working on. I know how important it is that we deal with this epidemic head-on.

Stay safe,

- Josh