Gov. Josh Shapiro’s decision to classify xylazine as a “Schedule III” drug to tighten regulations on the veterinary tranquilizer is the right decision.

The move will allow police and prosecutors to pursue charges against those nefariously trafficking the dangerous drug in our communities.

We remain concerned that the federal government has been too slow to recognize the emerging threat posed by this drug. According to the Associated Press, in 2020 there were 800 overdose deaths in which xylazine was detected. In 2021 the number rose to more than 3,000. And yet at the federal level the drug remains poorly monitored and tracked.

We’ve all known through our country’s decades of history in combating illegal drug use that the landscape of what dangerous drugs are being consumed shifts and changes, often rapidly.

For our efforts at ensuring public safety to have the best chance of success, the ability of police and prosecutors to identify and address new trends must also be rapid. In addition to a crackdown on xylazine, our authorities — particularly federal authorities — should assess how this crackdown could’ve begun earlier and more smoothly and apply those lessons to the next lethal scourge to surface.

The use of dangerous drugs will likely always be a problem. How big of a problem depends on how proactive and immediate we demand our public servants to be

— Williamsport Sun-Gazette