Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed an emergency rule Friday to outlaw gas station heroin.
Through this emergency action, tianeptine, commonly known as gas station heroin, is now on the Schedule I list of controlled substances in Florida.
Commonly sold as a dietary supplement under the names Pegasus, Tianaa or Zaza Red, tianeptine can mimic the effects of opioids and is available at gas stations, convenience stores and online. Tianeptine is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for any medical use and is attributed to five deaths nationwide.
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“Tianeptine, also known as gas station heroin, is highly addictive and even deadly. The federal government reports deaths nationwide, and tianeptine is causing 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,” Moody said,
Tianeptine is banned in several other states including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee due to the highly addictive nature and severe withdrawal symptoms.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, tianeptine is abused for its euphoric properties similar to other opioids, such as heroin. Severe adverse health effects, including respiratory depression, severe sedation and death have occurred from misuse.
Florida’s Poison Control Center received 15 exposure calls in the first half of 2023 from users between the ages of 23 to 58. In 2022, 24 calls were reported, and 54 reported over the last four years. The reported users’ ages range from 18 to 66. Calls into the center are voluntary, so the number of cases likely exceeds those reported. Nationally, approximately 607 calls were made to poison control centers from 2020 to 2022.
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In a recent news story, some tianeptine users who bought products like Zaza spent almost $200 a day and $2,000 a month feeding the addiction, some buying six to nine bottles a day.
According to the FDA, some users may have difficulty stopping use of tianeptine and experience withdrawal symptoms similar to opioid withdrawals. Effects include agitation, drowsiness, confusion, sweating, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, slowed or stopped breath, coma and death.
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