NATIONAL (WDNews) – The ‘gas station heroin’ scientifically known as tianeptine, was prescribed to treat depression in dozens of countries. Now, authorities warn the drug poses overdose and dependency risks.
Tianeptine holds a strange place in U.S. drug regulation, as it’s illegal to market or sell the drug, but it’s also not on the list of federally controlled substances.
Not only is it in products sold at gas stations and other stores, but it’s also available to buy online.
Many states such as Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee have now banned tianeptine.
For years, no one knew exactly how the drug worked. The drug’s true identity came to light after researchers figured out it’s a type of opioid that is similar to heroin.
People who abuse tianeptine report that it has left them struggling with addiction.
Tianeptine was launched in Europe in the 1980s but it has never been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for medical use. It’s sold in the U.S. as a nootropic, which is a substance promising to enhance users’ mood and cognitive function.
Experts warn that it’s dangerous to consume any unapproved drug, especially one that offers the risk of dependency and withdrawal, and that in the case of tianeptine, can cause respiratory depression and severe sedation.
Often packaged in colorful, shot-sized bottles, these enticing tianeptine products contain the drug in varying concentrations and have also been found to include dangerous synthetic cannabinoids.
Image courtesy of the US Food and Drug Administration.
