A law went into effect on July 1, 2024 making it a felony to buy, sell, or possess a drug called Tianeptine in Florida. Some call this substance "gas station heroin" because the highly addictive pills interact with opioid receptors in the brain that can mimic euphoria and effects of traditional heroin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that tianeptine's dangers have been understated and it is known to be addictive and cause seizures, electrolyte abnormality, flu-like symptoms, depression, anxiety, coma - even respiratory failure and death.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has led the effort to outlaw gas station heroin saying, "Tianeptine, also known as gas station heroin, is highly addictive and even deadly. The federal government reports deaths nationwide and tianeptine has caused an increase in calls to Florida's Poison Control Center. We are taking immediate action to outlaw this dangerous substance in our state. No one should buy, sell, or use products containing tianeptine."
Tianeptine is listed among a growing class of potentially addictive products with a high potential for abuse. Although this drug is not approved for medical use in the U.S., it has been readily available for sale in many convenience stores, gas stations, and smoke shops. According to the FDA, tianeptine has been falsely marketed as an antidepressant to treat anxiety, depression, pain, and even opioid use disorder. Over the past decade, drug after drug have entered our country and been sold directly to consumers under the label of dietary supplements in an effort to bypass strict FDA regulations.
How is tianeptine getting into our country? One way is through other countries in which it is approved for use. It can also be synthesized here in America at 50-60% higher doses causing an increased number of overdoses. It is estimated that over 600 calls were made to poison control centers nationally from 2020 to 2022. Florida Poison Control reported having treated 65 patients for overdoses on these types of drugs since 2020.
InnerAct Alliance joins with our state and local officials in the effort to keep our community informed about emerging drug alerts like tianeptine.
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