At the request of Attorney General Russell Coleman Monday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced the emergency classification of bromazolam as a schedule 1 controlled substance. The dangerous, unregulated drug, which is commonly known as “designer “Xanax,” has been tied to a growing number of fatal overdoses nationwide, including 48 in Kentucky last year.
The new designation, which takes effect immediately, criminalizes the sale and possession of bromazolam in the commonwealth and gives police and prosecutors clearer authority to pursue cases.
“Team Kentucky has made important progress in our fight against addiction, with three-straight years of declines in overdose deaths, and we’re committed to ensuring that work continues,” Beshear said in a press release from his office. “This deadly drug has no place in our communities, and now we have the tools needed to get it off the streets and protect more lives.”
“By answering our call to take emergency action on bromazolam, we have given Kentucky law enforcement new tools to keep this dangerous drug off our streets,” Coleman said in the release. “I’m proud of the zealous collaboration with the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force to sound the alarm and save lives. We live in a moment when as little as one pill can kill – and is killing – our kids. I’m glad we could work together to tackle this grave threat.”
Prior to Beshear’s action Monday, the only states that designated bromazolam as a Schedule 1 controlled substance were Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia.
The announcement came shortly after Coleman – with the support of 21 other attorneys general – urged the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to take similar emergency action at the federal level. In a letter to DEA Administrator Terry Cole, they described bromazolam as “highly potent and unpredictable,” noting that illicitly manufactured versions lack quality controls and increase overdose risk.
“Unlike regulated medications,” the letter reads in part, “illicitly manufactured bromazolam lacks any quality controls, making it particularly lethal for unsuspecting users.”
By design, the emergency scheduling is intended to help police remove the drug from circulation and equip prosecutors to hold traffickers accountable while sending a clear signal that “designer Xanax” has no place on American streets.
