Virginia, 20 other states want federal government to crack down on ‘designer Xanax’

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Across Virginia, more than 100 people have died after taking bromazolam -- known by some as "designer Xanax" -- in the last four years. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares has joined 20 other states in asking the federal government to take "emergency action" to address these overdose deaths.

A study posted to the National Library of Medicine describes bromazolam, a synthetic benzodiazepine drug, as a substance that exhibits "sedative, hypnotic and anxiolytic effects." It is considered especially dangerous when taken alongside other opioids, like fentanyl.

According to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), there have been 125 overdose deaths statewide linked to bromazolam between Jan. 1, 2021 and mid-2025.

On Monday, Aug. 18, the Office of the Attorney General announced that Miyares -- alongside attorneys general from 20 other states -- sent a letter to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) asking for bromazolam to be classified as a Schedule I drug on the federal level.

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The DEA schedules, or categorizes, drugs into five categories based on how medically useful they are and how likely they are to be abused. Schedule V drugs are those believed to have the least abuse potential, while Schedule I drugs are those with the highest.

"Called a 'designer Xanax,' and originally synthesized but never approved for medical use, bromazolam is now being sold illicitly on the streets and online," the attorneys general wrote in the letter. "It is both highly potent and unpredictable, especially when combined with opioids or other central nervous system depressants. Unlike regulated medications, illicitly manufactured bromazolam lacks any quality controls, making it particularly lethal for unsuspecting users."

As of the time of reporting, bromazolam remains unscheduled at the federal level -- "despite its clear dangers," the attorneys general said.

"We urge the DEA to use its authority under 21 U.S.C. § 811 to initiate emergency or permanent scheduling of bromazolam," the attorneys general said. "Taking emergency action to schedule bromazolam will help law enforcement remove it from circulation, give prosecutors the tools to hold traffickers accountable, and send a clear signal that this dangerous substance has no place on our streets."

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By contrast, bromazolam is already classified as a Schedule I substance in Virginia. Miyares said he believes the DEA needs to follow in Virginia's footsteps.

"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," Miyares said in a Monday press release. "Extending that classification nationwide will give every state the same tools to protect our communities from this synthetic benzodiazepine."

The other states' attorneys general who joined Miyares in penning this letter are those 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.