21 state AG's ask feds to ban 'designer Xanax' after Kentucky ban
Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Kentucky designated "bromazolam" as a Schedule 1 controlled substance as Gov. Andy Beshear also led a push to have it designated similarly at the federal level.
Beshear announced the effort to ban the drug, also known as "designer Xanax" Monday after bromazolam was detected in at least 48 overdose deaths in Kentucky last year.
"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," the two-term Democratic governor said in a statement.
The governor's signature immediately banned the drug from being sold in Kentucky and empowered law enforcement to act and arrest for sales or possession. It also provides further tools for authorities in Beshear's statewide crackdown.
A 2021 report suggested that overdose deaths linked to illicit "designer" drugs had surged in the United States a staggering 520% between 2019 and 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from 32 states and the District of Columbia.
On Monday, the rumored Democratic presidential candidate pointed to "important progress" in Kentucky's fight against addiction with three straight years of declines in overdose deaths.
"And we're committed to ensuring that work continues," Beshear added.
Beshear's executive action this week reportedly came following a request by the state's Republican Attorney General Russell Coleman.
"We live in a moment when as little as one pill can kill -- and is killing -- our kids," Coleman said Monday in a joint statement with Beshear.
"I'm glad we could work together to tackle this grave threat," he added on the bipartisan effort to rid the streets of the "designer" bromazolam.
In 1985 the federal government enacted its ban on the so-called "designer drug" Ecstasy entirely due to the fact it was created by chemists and Ecstasy spin-offs were starting to hit the streets.
Coleman and 20 other GOP state attorneys general are now calling on the federal government to follow state actions.
"Despite its clear dangers, bromazolam remains unscheduled at the federal level, creating significant challenges for law enforcement and public health officials trying to respond to this emerging crisis," read a letter in part to DEA Administrator Terry Cole signed by Coleman and Alabama's Attorney General Steve Marshall, Tim Griffin in Arkansas, Florida's James Uthmeier, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Indiana's Attorney General Todd Rokita and Brenna Bird from Iowa, Liz Murrill of Louisiana, Lynn Fitch of Mississippi, Montana's Austin Knudsen, Mike Hilgers of Nebraska, Drew Wrigley of North Dakota, Dave Yost of Ohio, Oklahoma's Gentner Drummond, Pennsylvania's new Attorney General Dave Sunday, Alan Wilson of South Carolina, Marty Jackley of South Dakota, Jonathan Skrmetti of Tennessee, Virgina's Jason Miyares, John 'JB' McCuskey of West Virginia and Ken Paxton of Texas.
Coleman's letter pointed to how the originally synthesized but never approved for medical use bromazolam is now being illegally sold on the streets and in online platforms.
The band of Republican state chief law enforcement officers argues that without its scheduling on a federal level, bromazolam will continue to "evade traditional regulatory and prosecutorial tools," which they added will hinder interdiction efforts and enable "continued distribution through illicit channels."
"Virginia took proactive action by scheduling bromazolam," Virginia's Attorney General Jason Miyares said Monday.
"Now, I'm encouraging federal action to ensure every state has the same tools to protect Americans," the Republican AG and first Latino elected to statewide office in Virginia posted on social media.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
The Great Shift: How Gen Z is reshaping the future of nursing
It's no longer a "coming trend" - Gen Z nurses have arrived, and they're already changing the dynamics of the U.S. nursing workforce. Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, this is the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in American history and the first to grow up entirely in the digital age. They enter the world of registered nurses, a profession with deep traditions and high-pressure demands. Yet they carry with them a distinctly modern set of priorities: flexible scheduling, mental health resources, technology that works for them, and a sustainable work-life balance. Many Gen Z RNs completed their education and clinical training during the COVID-19 pandemic, stepping into hospitals and clinics in a time of crisis. The urgency of that period shaped their perspective. They believe nursing is meaningful work, but it cannot come at the expense of their health, autonomy, and professional growth. That shift is challenging employers to rethink long-standing nursing workforce norms and update their healthcare staffing strategies. The alternative - continuing with business as usual - risks losing this generation to burnout or career changes, worsening an already critical shortage. A 2024 study from the NCSBN (National Council of State Boards of Nursing) reported that more than 138,000 registered nurses had left the workforce since 2022 and 40% (1.6 million nurses) plan to exit the workforce by 2029. In the same period, the median age of RNs increased from 46 to 50 and the number of nurses reporting a change in job setting increased by 4%. Vivian Health shares how healthcare organizations must adapt their retention strategies for registered nurses to meet the expectations of Generation Z and secure the future of patient care. 1. Explore Flexibility in Scheduling To provide round-the-clock coverage, hospitals and clinics often rely on long, fixed shifts and rotating schedules designed more around staffing efficiency than staff choice. Even off the clock, many RNs remain on call for their employers. But for Gen Z, flexibility is a central measure of job satisfaction, ranking alongside - or above - pay. According to Kaylee Parker, BSN, RN, and Senior Customer Success Manager at Vivian Health, this has proven true for younger nurses in her experience. "[Gen Z nurses are] more willing to trade traditional 12-hour shifts for shorter, mixed, or set schedules if it means better work-life balance, says Parker. "They're more likely to request self-scheduling, predictable rotations, or the option to swap shifts digitally. While older generations often accepted overtime as part of the job, many Gen Z nurses draw clearer boundaries and are more vocal about avoiding burnout." Employers are testing flexible nurse scheduling systems that allow more input from the nurses over shift selection and offer shorter or split shifts to reduce fatigue. Allowing nurses to have some control over the shifts they work (including preferences for days off or working consecutive days, flexibility for unit-specific needs, and providing transparency) greatly improves the level of reported job satisfaction. Technology may be able to help too. Some health systems are adopting AI-powered staffing tools to anticipate patient surges and match available nurses accordingly. Flexible scheduling is not just an HR perk - it's becoming a competitive advantage in nurse recruitment. 2. Make Mental Health Support a Core Job Benefit Gallup research shows that 68% of Gen Z reports feeling stressed "a lot of the time." For nurses, that's layered on top of high patient loads, life-and-death decision-making, and exposure to employers are beginning to treat mental health resources as core infrastructure, including: On-site counseling for immediate support networks to create safe spaces for shared sessions after critical incidents. By normalizing these supports in hiring, during onboarding, and in everyday operations, employers signal that their nurses' well-being is a priority and part of the job description - not a personal luxury. 3. Integrate Better Healthcare Technology That Actually Helps Nurses Nurses need tools that work, and those tools must enhance patient care rather than create administrative headaches. Gen Z nurses, as digital natives, are less tolerant of outdated or inefficient systems. Modern nursing is being transformed by new technology designed to improve efficiency, boost patient safety, and reduce nurse workload. Smart IV pumps automate accurate medication delivery through built-in dose error reduction, reducing the need for constant manual monitoring by nurses. Smart beds enhance both comfort and safety by repositioning patients, detecting attempts to exit, and syncing data directly to electronic health records, reducing manual documentation and preventing fall risks. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) centralize clinical documentation, support AI-powered alerts, provide mobile charting options, and streamline team communication, helping nurses focus more on patient care. Across the board, these innovations reduce manual work, accelerate decision-making, and contribute to more efficient, coordinated nursing workflows. Organizations investing in these improvements can market themselves to job seekers as innovation-driven workplaces. 4. Redefine Work-Life Balance in Nursing The leading causes of nurses leaving the workforce are "stress and burnout" and "workload," but for Gen Z, work-life balance for nurses is not just a factor - it's often a deal-breaker. The profession's traditional schedules - with unpredictable shifts and mandatory overtime - are in direct conflict with Gen Z's priorities. Some healthcare systems are taking steps toward structural change, including reducing reliance on mandatory overtime, establishing predictable rotation patterns, and expanding paid leave programs to encourage actual rest. Frontline caregivers have suggested adopting rotating shift schedules, allowing remote charting, and even offering "mental health days" that don't count against vacation or sick leave, as changes that could help staff better manage personal needs without compromising patient care. 5. Offer Meaningful Career Development The cultural dimension of nursing workforce trends is just as important as operational ones. The #1 takeaway from a 2024 Forbes article about Gen Z's impact on the workforce is that Gen Z employees place a premium on feeling that they are doing meaningful work and making a positive impact. However, traditional career ladders in nursing often lead to administrative or management roles. Gen Z is reshaping advancement expectations and wants growth opportunities that align with personal purpose and skill-building, not just hierarchical promotions. "Many younger nurses see nursing as a launchpad," says Parker. "They're open to leadership, advanced practice roles, or even branching into healthcare tech and policy. The new generation is more entrepreneurial. They're interested in roles that allow autonomy, creativity, and cross-disciplinary skills. Rather than staying in one unit for decades, younger nurses anticipate pivoting through multiple specialties and settings during their career. Gen Z also values transparency, collaborative problem-solving, and approachable leadership. Including frontline nurses in policy discussions, creating cross-generational mentorships, and rewarding contributions based on impact can keep engagement high. Institutions that implemented peer-support programs, frequent leadership check-ins ("leadership care rounds"), and town halls to discuss concerns found better morale and improved ability to handle stress during the crisis. Why These Adaptations Matter The arrival of Gen Z nurses coincides with one of the most challenging staffing landscapes in modern healthcare. Retention is not just about filling schedules - it's about sustaining the profession's capacity to deliver safe, high-quality care. The nursing workforce trends shaping today's hospitals and clinics are driven by both demographic shifts and the lived experiences of these new professionals. Healthcare employers who embrace flexible nurse scheduling, invest in mental health in nursing, commit to nursing technology integration, and prioritize work-life balance for nurses aren't just responding to Gen Z demands - they're building resilience into their organizations. This story was produced by Vivian Health and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Gaza City ground offensive underway, civilians flee Israeli advance
Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Israel's military offensive to take over Gaza City got underway on Thursday, sending thousands of Palestinians fleeing from parts of the city of 1 million, according to local officials. The Israel Defense Forces embarked on the operation after advance troops were able to capture outer areas of the city under the cover of unrelenting airborne attack from airstrikes and artillery fire. Residents of the Zeitoun and Sabra neighbourhoods were on the move to areas in the city's northwest. The overnight escalation came after the military said Wednesday that Israel would "intensify the strikes on Hamas in Gaza City, the political and military stronghold of the terror organization." However, it pledged it would endeavor to avoid civilian casualties by issuing evacuation orders. The offensive by Israel, which has vowed to occupy all of Gaza City as part of a plan to capture the 25% of Gaza it does not already hold, saw U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres intervene, calling for a cease-fire and the unconditional release of hostages. "It is vital to reach immediately a cease-fire in Gaza" in order "to avoid the death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause," he said. The World Health Organization warned that the evacuation orders, amid a massive escalation in the level of violence, would only add to already "unbearable pressure" on hospitals by forcing more and more people into ever smaller areas. It said hospitals in Gaza City were already operating at almost three times their capacity as they battled to cope with a relentless stream of casualties with "complex trauma wounds." The offensive came despite a new cease-fire and a hostage-prisoner swap deal negotiated by Egypt and Qatar that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have accepted, rising domestic opposition to the war and a deepening rift with Western allies, particularly Australia, poised to recognize Palestinian statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, after far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman was banned from entering the country for a scheduled speaking tour of Sydney and Melbourne this week. Netanyahu doubled up attacks leveled at Albanese earlier in the week, telling Australian TV news channel Thursday that Albanese's reputation was "forever tarnished by the weakness that he showed in the face of these Hamas terrorist monsters." Jerusalem retaliated by announcing it would cancel the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. Earlier, in an online post on Tuesday, Netanyahu claimed history would judge Albanese harshly. "History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews," he wrote. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pandemic Babies Are Entering Kindergarten & We're Only Now Processing How Weird Their First Year Was
It's been five years since the pandemic first started, but parents who had kids in 2020 don't forget so easily. Especially now, as those 'pandemic babies' head off to kindergarten. As for me, my son was 8 months old when the pandemic started and daycare shut down. He learned how to crawl the same week he was home, and it was a mix of joy and panic as I juggled full-time work with no childcare. When daycare reopened, I worried he'd get sick, yes, but also that he wouldn't learn how to talk since all his teachers (and everyone he interacted with except for his parents) wore masks. Strangely enough, we didn't test positive for Covid until two years later, and fast forward to today with two more kids into the mix, and it turns out that my first one was the most verbal (and continues to be a total chatterbox). But those early days were definitely weird. I checked in with a couple of other moms whose children were also born during the pandemic, and here's what they shared. Pregnancy and Labor Sucked Big Time Katie was living in Brooklyn, NY when her son was born in March 2020. 'I delivered March 25, which was three days after NY State was put on pause…Most notably, I delivered during the week-long partner ban that NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital implemented. My husband was restricted access to the hospital, so he took me as far as he could. We said our goodbyes on the curb right outside of the entrance, and then I had to do the rest without him.' She recalls masked-up surgery, isolated recovery, nurses terrified to enter her room, and missing her husband most when her newborn wanted constant feeding. She was discharged 40 hours after delivery. 'That night, once my family had been reunited, we were all safely home and the boys were asleep—my body started shaking uncontrollably. My midwife suspected that was all the adrenaline I had stored up, releasing.' Across the ocean in London, Hannah described a similarly lonely birth experience in October 2020: 'Being in the UK we had very tough and strict restrictions throughout the whole of my pregnancy. It changed daily! In the end, my partner was not able to be in the delivery room with me until I was about to give birth. Then we had around one hour together before he was told to leave because of the restrictions and to come back the following day.' Leading up to delivery, Hannah recalls that the lack of in-person classes and support left her feeling isolated. 'Online antenatal classes aren't the same. And I really wanted to go to the store to test out all the pushchairs and make our decision together, but we didn't want to risk exposure so we bought everything online.' It Was Lonely and Anxiety-Inducing For many parents, the hardest part wasn't just the birth itself but the long, quiet aftermath. The missed 'village' of grandparents, friends and new mom groups. Ellen in Chicago, IL also delivered her baby in October 2020. 'I randomly was looking back at old notes in my Notes app the other day, and the ones from those early days are bat shit crazy. I had extreme anxiety about her health, breastfeeding, her weight, sleep safety, everything,' she tells me. Even small milestones—like introducing a new baby to friends—were fraught with anxiety or lost completely. I attended multiple baby showers and first birthday parties over Zoom that year and, well, it just wasn't the same as celebrating a tiny human in person ('you're on mute!'). As for us, we had one family come over for my son's first birthday party who we were bubbling with at the time, while other invitees came by our house and congratulated him and us from the street outside. The Kids Are Alright The other day I found one of my son's tiny face masks and asked if he remembered ever wearing it. (At one point the CDC recommended masks for kids ages 2 and up, though by the time he hit that milestone, restrictions had fortunately eased up and his school only advised, not mandated, them.) He just looked at me blankly—no recollection whatsoever. Katie reflects: 'He is a healthy, happy, funny, resourceful kid. I think one positive side effect of Covid was that my husband, who would usually travel a lot for work, was suddenly home all the time. Having him close helped to establish a very deep bond between him and both our boys.' Still, the immune system challenges were real. As Hannah recalls, once her daughter started daycare, 'Whatever she then caught she got bad—chicken pox, scarlet fever, even tiny colds took her ages to recover from. It was very scary!' These days when I have to keep a kid home from school, I try to remind myself that it will never be as bad as during the early days of the pandemic. There was a period in 2021 where my son went a full 19 weeks (I remember, I counted!) without actually making it through a full week, largely due to illness after illness and a very strict sick policy (you had to be fever-free for 48 hours, no green snot allowed, negative Covid tests, quarantine periods, etc.). But the Parents Won't Forget If the kids will grow up barely remembering, the parents are a different story. 'I think about [Covid] every year on my son's birthday,' Katie says. 'He is our goofy little Covid reminder. I still wish that my husband could have been in person at the delivery…He says that I should let this go…but I struggle with that.' Ellen echoes this. While her daughter is thriving, she admits the pandemic likely made her and her partner extra anxious beyond the normal 'this is my first kid' type of stress. 'It probably made us a little weird,' she says. (Remember when we were all wiping down groceries with Clorox wipes and hoarding toilet paper?) Ultimately, these pandemic babies have proven exactly what we hoped for—that they are resilient, adaptable and joyful despite the strangeness of their first year. But for the parents, the memories linger. It's not all bad, though. 'I can appreciate how strong our family is,' says Katie. 'We lived through something really hard and found the strength to do that in each other.' As I prepare to send my "pandemic kid" off into a new school year, I couldn't agree more. The Pandemic Taught Us That Kids Are Resilient. Parents Are Not.
