Concerns Over “Gas Station Heroin” In North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – North Carolina lawmakers are considering making a dietary supplement known as “gas station heroin” a controlled substance.

They say some people have become addicted to the supplement without even realizing what was happening. Some have ended up in the emergency room.

Tianeptine is sold as an energy-boosting dietary supplement. It’s actually used in some other countries as an antidepressant in small doses. But in larger doses, it mimics the effects of heroin, including its addictiveness.

Experts say it changes the chemistry of the brain so it’s easy to get hooked on quickly.

There’s no warning label on it, and there’s no age limit either, so even kids can buy it.

The FDA has issued voluntary recalls on several Tianeptine products, including Neptune’s Fix. However, the drug itself is not illegal in North Carolina.

Representative Steve Ross wants to get Tianeptine off the shelves by adding it to the state’s controlled substances list. He says people have gotten addicted to it without even realizing what was happening with some ending up in the ER.

Both Ross and Senator Donna White are on a legislative committee looking into the problem. That committee voted unanimously to recommend banning the drug during this year’s short session.