August 18, 2025 - Attorney General Miyares Joins 21-State Coalition Calling on DEA to Ban ‘Designer Xanax’

Attorney General Miyares Joins 21-State Coalition Calling on DEA to Ban ‘Designer Xanax’

RICHMOND, Va. — Attorney General Jason Miyares today joined a 21-state coalition calling on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to take emergency action to schedule bromazolam, a synthetic benzodiazepine drug linked in deaths across the country. Bromazolam is classified as a Schedule I substance in Virginia. 

“By classifying bromazolam as a Schedule I drug, Virginia gave law enforcement the power to get this lethal substance off our streets and bring drug traffickers to justice. Extending that classification nationwide will give every state the same tools to protect our communities from this synthetic benzodiazepine,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. 

In a letter to DEA Administrator Terry Cole, the coalition emphasized that bromazolam is highly potent and unpredictable, and warned that the absence of national scheduling and quality controls makes it especially dangerous for unsuspecting users. Taking emergency action would help law enforcement remove bromazolam from circulation, give prosecutors the tools to hold traffickers accountable, and send a clear signal it has no place on the streets of America’s neighborhoods.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares joined the letter with attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.

Read the letter here.

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