Special Legislative Commission on Xylazine Holds First Meeting

WESTFIELD — This week, the Special Legislative Commission on Xylazine, co-chaired by state Sen. John Velis, held its first public meeting. The commission, which is tasked with studying and making recommendations on ways to address the public health and safety concerns posed by the proliferation of xylazine as an additive to illicit drugs, was established in the omnibus substance use disorder bill that was signed into law last session.

Velis, who is also Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery, served on the conference committee last session that negotiated the final substance use disorder bill and created the commission.

“This commission has a really important task in front of us, as we continue to see the proliferation of xylazine grow in our Commonwealth’s drug supply. Last year, xylazine was found in a record-high 34% of lab-tested samples tested statewide. And in 2023, xylazine was found in 9% of opioid-related overdose deaths,” Velis said. “It is clear that our Commonwealth must acknowledge the dangers that xylazine presents and the disturbing increases we are seeing, and I am grateful that the work of this commission is beginning.”

Velis noted that he has prioritized focusing on drug supply contamination and the proliferation of xylazine and other contaminants throughout his time in the Legislature. This includes securing funding in the FY 2023 state budget to allow Tapestry Health in Western Mass. to purchase a mass spectrometer device to analyze drug supplies, as well as securing funding in the FY 2025 state budget for the Department of Public Health to carry out a public awareness campaign on the contaminated drug supply in Massachusetts.

The commission, which is made up of state legislators, public health officials, and law enforcement personnel, discussed its statutory requirements and goals during the first meeting, before turning it over to a series of speakers.

The list of speakers included Deirdre Calvert from the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services, Traci Green from the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream, Sarah Wakeman from the Substance Use Disorder Initiative at Mass General Brigham, and Officer Heather Longley from the Northampton Police Department’s Drug Addiction Response Team, among others. Velis noted that the commission plans to continue to hold public meetings to hear from subject matter experts, as well as individuals impacted, as it works to compile information on xylazine in Massachusetts and what the Commonwealth can do to help combat this rising contamination.