Xylazine ban comes into force

Xylazine ban comes into forceXylazine has been banned as a class C substance, the Home Office has announced. The ban follows a recommendation from the ACMD last year.

The drug, a non-opioid known as ‘tranq’ or ‘tranq dope’ in the US – especially when mixed with fentanyl or heroin – has been associated with a range of dangerous side effects, including large skin lesions.

The new legislation sees 22 substances banned under the Misuse of Drugs Act, six of which will now be controlled as class A. A generic definition of nitazenes has also been introduced, designed to stop people circumventing the law by adjusting a substance’s composition.

xylazine banned
A generic definition of nitazenes has also been introduced, designed to stop people circumventing the law by adjusting a substance’s composition

‘Synthetic drugs cause devastation wherever they are found – to individuals, to families, to our town centres and our communities,’ said policing minister Dame Diana Johnson. ‘I have been concerned about the growing presence of these drugs on UK streets and I don’t think enough has been done in recent years to get a grip on it. Stepping up efforts to tackle this threat will form a key part of this government’s approach to drugs, which we hope to set out later this year. As part of our Plan for Change and mission to make our streets safer, we are dedicated to driving down drug misuse and harms through prevention and treatment while acting quickly to stop the criminals peddling these harmful substances.’

Home Office circular available here

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