{"id":675270,"date":"2025-06-15T16:35:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T13:35:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/gas-station-heroin-is-technically-illegal-and-widely-available-here-are-the-facts\/"},"modified":"2025-06-15T16:35:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-15T13:35:58","slug":"gas-station-heroin-is-technically-illegal-and-widely-available-here-are-the-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gas-station-heroin-is-technically-illegal-and-widely-available-here-are-the-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Gas station heroin&#8217; is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41400363343\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41400363343\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gas-station-heroin-is-technically-illegal-and-widely-available-here-are-the-facts\/#How_are_these_products_sold_in_the_US\" >How are these products sold in the U.S.?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gas-station-heroin-is-technically-illegal-and-widely-available-here-are-the-facts\/#Why_use_these_products\" >Why use these products?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gas-station-heroin-is-technically-illegal-and-widely-available-here-are-the-facts\/#Is_tianeptine_use_going_up\" >Is tianeptine use going up?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gas-station-heroin-is-technically-illegal-and-widely-available-here-are-the-facts\/#Are_there_policies_that_could_reduce_tianeptine_use\" >Are there policies that could reduce tianeptine use?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows bottles of Neptunes Fix Elixir, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is.jpg\" alt=\"'Gas station heroin' is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts\" title=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows bottles of Neptunes Fix Elixir, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows bottles of Neptunes Fix Elixir, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Health officials want you to think twice before buying one of those brightly colored little bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes called &#8220;gas station heroin,&#8221; the products are usually marketed as energy shots or cognitive supplements but actually contain tianeptine, an un<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roved drug that can be addictive and carries risks of serious side effects.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. poison control centers have reported a steady rise in calls linked to the drug for more than a decade. And last month the Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to health professionals about &#8220;the magnitude of the underlying danger or these products.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s what to know about gas station heroin.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_are_these_products_sold_in_the_US\"><\/span>How are these products sold in the U.S.?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Tianeptine is approved in a number foreign countries as an antidepressant, usually as a low-dose pill taken three times a day. But it has never been approved by the FDA for any medical condition in the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the drug cannot legally be added to foods and beverages or sold as a dietary supplement\u2014something the FDA has repeatedly warned U.S. companies about.<\/p>\n<p>Still, under-the-radar firms sell tianeptine in various formulas, often with brand names like Zaza, Tianaa, Pegasus and TD Red. Although that is technically illegal, the FDA does not preapprove ingredients added to supplements and beverages.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows capsules of Purple Magic, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-1.jpg\" alt=\"'Gas station heroin' is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts\" title=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows capsules of Purple Magic, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows capsules of Purple Magic, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s kind of this grey area of consumer products, or supplements, where the contents are not regulated or tested the way they would be with a medication,&#8221; said Dr. Diane Calello of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System.<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Calello and her colleagues published a study documenting a cluster of emergency calls in New Jersey tied to a flavored elixir called Neptune&#8217;s Fix. People experienced distress, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure and seizures after drinking it. More than a dozen of the 20 patients had to be admitted for intensive care.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_use_these_products\"><\/span>Why use these products?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many tianeptine products claim\u2014 without evidence or FDA approval\u2014 to help users treat medical conditions, including addiction, pain and depression.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, the FDA issued a warning letter to the maker of a product called Tianna, which claimed to provide &#8220;an unparalleled solution to cravings for opiates.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-3.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows capsules of White Magic, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-3.jpg\" alt=\"'Gas station heroin' is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts\" title=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows capsules of White Magic, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows capsules of White Magic, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While tianeptine is not an opioid, the drug binds to some of the same receptors in the brain, which can temporarily produce effects akin to oxycodone and other opioids. Tianeptine also carries some of the same physiological risks of opioids, including the potential to dangerously depress breathing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s what tends to get people into trouble,&#8221; said Dr. Hannah Hays of Nationwide Children&#8217;s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. &#8220;They use it for opioid-like effects or to self-treat opioid withdrawal and that can lead to slow breathing and problems like that.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>People dealing with opioid addiction, pain, depression, anxiety and other conditions should see a health professional to get a prescription for FDA-approved treatments, Hays said.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_tianeptine_use_going_up\"><\/span>Is tianeptine use going up?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Experts aren&#8217;t sure but national figures show a big rise in emergency calls involving the drug.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-2.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows a the ingredient list of TA TA, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-2.jpg\" alt=\"'Gas station heroin' is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts\" title=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows a the ingredient list of TA TA, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows a the ingredient list of TA TA, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Calls to poison control centers increased 525% between 2018 and 2023, according to a data analysis published earlier this year. In about 40% of cases, the person had to seek medical care, with more than half of them needing critical care.<\/p>\n<p>One explanation for the rise in calls is simply that more Americans are using the products.<\/p>\n<p>But experts also say that the products are triggering more emergencies as they become more potent and dangerous. And the researchers in New Jersey who analyzed Neptune&#8217;s Fix found that the liquid also contained synthetic cannabis and other drugs.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You never quite know what&#8217;s in that bottle,&#8221; Calello said. &#8220;It&#8217;s important for people to know that even if they have used a product before, they could get a bottle that contains something very different from what they&#8217;re looking for.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-4.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows a bottle of TD Red Extra Strength, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\">\n<figure class=\"article-img text-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is-4.jpg\" alt=\"'Gas station heroin' is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts\" title=\"This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows a bottle of TD Red Extra Strength, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-left text-darken text-truncate text-low-up mt-3\">\n                This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows a bottle of TD Red Extra Strength, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_there_policies_that_could_reduce_tianeptine_use\"><\/span>Are there policies that could reduce tianeptine use?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Tianeptine is not included in the federal Controlled Substances Act, which bans or restricts drugs that have no medical use or have a high potential for abuse, such as heroin, LSD and PCP. But about a dozen states have passed laws prohibiting or restricting tianeptine, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Tennessee.<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, those laws have led to more cases of withdrawal among users of tianeptine, which can be chemically addictive. But state data also shows some success in reducing harm tied to the drug.<\/p>\n<p>Until recently, Alabama had the highest rate of tianeptine-related calls in the southern U.S., which increased more than 1,400% between 2018 to 2021. But after the state restricted tianeptine in 2021 calls began modestly decreasing while calls across other southern states continued to climb.<\/p>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                \u00a9 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 &#8216;Gas station heroin&#8217; is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts (2025, June 15)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 15 June 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-06-gas-station-heroin-technically-illegal.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-06-gas-station-heroin-technically-illegal.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This photo provided by the FDA in January 2024 shows bottles of Neptunes Fix Elixir, a product labeled to contain tianeptine. Credit: FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs, Health Fraud Branch via AP Health officials want you to think twice before buying one of those brightly colored little bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":675274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/gas-station-heroin-is.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-675270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=675270"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/675270\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/675274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=675270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=675270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=675270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}