PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Efforts are underway to ban the sale of a drug that’s similar to opioids, but is so readily available, it’s become known as “gas station heroin.”
It’s called tianeptine, and the FDA says it does not fall under the Controlled Substances Act, but it is also not an approved additive or supplement.
It’s often marketed in the United States as a nootropic or dietary supplement to enhance cognitive function. The drug is available at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and online retailers under brand names including Tianaa, Zaza, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and TD Red.
Republican State Representative Andrew Kuzma’s bill to outlaw the sale of it advanced to the full House with a unanimous vote in the House Judiciary Committee.
“After introducing this legislation, my office has been inundated by citizens all across the Commonwealth that have been affected by this, and it's very common, honestly, in commercial truck drivers that are looking for some type of supplement to keep themselves awake.”
While its use as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety drug has been authorized in other countries, the FDA warns some products sold in the United States are up to 250 times the recommended dosage, adding that tianeptine can result in potentially fatal overdoses, is addictive, and withdrawal symptoms are similar to heroin and other opioids.
“But chemically, the chemical composition is just different enough that it is still legal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Kuzma said.
Michigan, Ohio and a handful of other states have banned or regulated the sale of tianeptin.
Republican Doug Mastriano has introduced a similar bill in the State Senate.