美国国家公共电台 NPR--Biden administration says fentanyl-xylazine cocktail is a deadly national threat

Biden administration says fentanyl-xylazine cocktail¹ is a deadly national threat

Transcript²

The U.S. government issued a grave new warning Wednesday about a cocktail of illegal street drugs made of fentanyl and xylazine that's fueling another wave of American overdose deaths.

"I'm deeply concerned about what this threat means for the nation," said Dr. Rahul Gupta, head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Xylazine, known on the street as tranq, was first linked to drug deaths in the Northeast but has since spread rapidly in Southern and Western states.

Speaking with reporters ahead of today's public announcement, Gupta said the Biden administration will formally notify Congress about the public health threat and will then roll out a plan to combat the crisis over the next 90 days.

"This is the first time in our nation's history that a substance is being designated as an emerging threat by any administration," Gupta said.

Gupta has been on the front lines of the opioid-fentanyl epidemic³ for decades as drug overdoses surged above 100,000 deaths a year. He said the threat that this latest mix of drugs could make things even worse is alarming.

Already, the latest drug data from 2020-2021 shows a stunning⁴ increase of fatal overdoses linked to xylazine, with deaths in the South surging more than 1,000%.

Public health experts say frequent xylazine users also suffer terrible wounds when they inject the drug.

"People are often ending up having to have amputations of their limbs, or having deep ulcers⁵, infections or sepsis," Gupta said.

Public health officials and researchers contacted by NPR said the Biden administration is right to raise the alarm about fentanyl and xylazine.

"I think it's a tremendous public health risk," said Dr. Stephanie Ann Deutsch, a pediatrician who treats kids exposed to drugs at the Nemours Children's Hospital in Delaware.

Deutsch published a paper in December warning other pediatricians about her experience struggling to treat young children sickened by fentanyl and xylazine.

"The children didn't respond to the traditional antidotes⁶ and in general were quite critically ill."

In the coming months, the Biden administration's response is expected to include more testing to identify where xylazine is prevalent in the street drug supply.

Gupta also called for increased funding for research to find medical treatments for people affected⁷.

He said it's also likely the government will consider further regulations for xylazine, which is used legally by veterinarians as an animal tranquilizer.

Gupta said it may also make sense for Congress to increase criminal penalties, as police try to crack down on dealers⁸ and gangs adulterating street drugs with xylazine.

Maritza Perez Medina with the Drug Policy Alliance said she worries that growing fears about xylazine and other synthetic⁹ drugs will lead to more arrests rather than better treatment.

"We're really targeting people who could benefit from health services," Perez Medina told NPR. "That's my overall concern with the direction the federal government is taking, specifically Congress with criminalizing these emergent substances."

Synthetic drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamines and now xylazine have become a political flashpoint as drug deaths rise.

With the Biden administration pivoting¹⁰ to battle the xylazine-fentanyl cocktail, experts say they expects to see more deadly synthetic drugs making their way onto American streets.

1 cocktail   

n.鸡尾酒；餐前开胃小吃；混合物

参考例句：

• We invited some foreign friends for a cocktail party.我们邀请了一些外国朋友参加鸡尾酒会。
• At a cocktail party in Hollywood,I was introduced to Charlie Chaplin.在好莱坞的一次鸡尾酒会上，人家把我介绍给查理·卓别林。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

4 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

5 ulcers   

n.溃疡( ulcer的名词复数 )；腐烂物；道德败坏；腐败

参考例句：

• Detachment of the dead cells produces erosions and ulcers. 死亡细胞的脱落，产生糜烂和溃疡。 来自辞典例句
• 75% of postbulbar ulcers occur proximal to the duodenal papilla. 75％的球后溃疡发生在十二指肠乳头近侧。 来自辞典例句

6 antidotes   

解药( antidote的名词复数 )； 解毒剂； 对抗手段； 除害物

参考例句：

• Treatment involves giving antidotes that Bind the lead in the tissues. 治疗办法有用解毒剂，它会与组织中的铅结合而把它驱逐出去。
• With Spleen Qi, heat antidotes, such as cough Runfei effectiveness. 具有补脾益气、清热解毒、润肺止咳等功效。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

9 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

10 pivoting   

n.绕轴旋转，绕公共法线旋转v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的现在分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• Here is a neat YouTube video showing the Gyro's pivoting mechanism. 这里是一个整洁的YouTube视频显示陀螺仪的旋转机制。 来自互联网
• Dart pivoting is widely used in the gannent pattern design. 省道转移的原理在服装纸样设计中应用十分广泛。 来自互联网