Tranq, the ``Zombie Drug''

Floor Speech

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Mr. COLLINS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to encourage the continued support for H.R. 1734, the TRANQ Research Act, which passed the House earlier this year.

Fentanyl and other deadly substances are being seized at record levels by our law enforcement officers. So far, in fiscal year 2023, the Border Patrol has intercepted 20,000 pounds of fentanyl. That is enough to kill 4.6 billion people.

Now, that is an incredible amount of deadly drugs, and it doesn't include the dangerous opioid analogues, such as xylazine, which are becoming far more common and are a challenge to identify in the field.

Xylazine, also called TRANQ or the ``zombie drug,'' is a veterinary tranquilizer and fentanyl analogue that is wreaking havoc on American communities. It is also putting our law enforcement at risk.

According to the DEA, over the past 2 years, the southern and western United States has experienced an over 100 percent increase in xylazine encounters. This is a very concerning trend.

TRANQ earned the name ``zombie drug'' because it kills human tissue and is also resistant to opioid overdose treatments.

Our Federal law enforcement officers are working hard to keep our communities safe and are doing it at great personal risk. They need the tools to identify these drugs in order to stay safe when encountering them in the field.

That is why 25 of my colleagues and I introduced the TRANQ Research Act. This commonsense legislation directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to conduct research on the detection and handling of the newest, most dangerous synthetic opioids.

Detection capabilities will extend to police officers, Border Patrol agents, and other first responders so they are better equipped to stem the flow of this deadly drug that is coming into our country and also keep them safe while they are doing it.

Our bill passed this House unanimously in May, and the Senate returned it in June with minor amendments that I support.

Madam Speaker, I urge you today to take up the amended TRANQ Research Act quickly so that we can send it to the President's desk. Let's deliver again for the American people and get this crucial legislation signed into law.

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