The “gasoline heroin” is on the rise, and health authorities are calling for possible consequences.
These are small, colored bottles that are often sold in gas stations, comfort stores and smoke shops. They are usually marketed as energy photos or cognitive supplements, but they actually contain thianptine, an unacceptable drug that can be addictive and cause serious side effects.
US Poison Control Centers have been announcing the continued increase in drug calls for more than a decade. And last month, the Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to health professionals about “a major risk or these products”.
Here’s what you need to know about the gasoline heroin:
How are these products sold in the United States?
Tianeptin is approved in a number of foreign countries as antidepressant, usually taken as a low -dose pill three times daily. But never confirmed by the FDA because of the medical status in the United States
In addition, the drug cannot be legally added to foods and drinks or sold as a dietary supplement – something the FDA has repeatedly warned by US companies.
However, the following companies sell Tianptine radar in different formulas, often with commercial names such as Zaza, Tianaa, Pegasus and TD Red. Although technically illegal, the FDA does not produce raw materials added to supplements and drinks.
“This area of this area is gray of consumer products or supplements that are not regulated, and the way it is done with a drug is not tested,” said Dr.
Last year, Callo and his colleagues published a study that tied a cluster of emergency calls in New Jersey to a flavored elixir called Fix Neptune. After drinking it, people experienced rapid heart rate, low blood pressure and seizures. More than dozens of 20 patients were forced to hospital for intensive care.
Why are we using these products?
Many TINEPTINE products claim: No evidence or FDA approval – to help users treat medical conditions including addiction, pain and depression.
In 2018, the FDA issued a warning letter to the manufacturer of a product called Tianna, claiming to provide “a unique solution for cravings for drugs”.
While thyaneptin is not opiates, it attaches to some of the same receptors in the brain, which can temporarily cause similar effects of exicodon and other opioids. Tianeptin also has some of the same physiological dangers of opiates, including dangerous breathing potential.
“This is what makes people get into trouble,” said Dr. Hannah Hayeh of the Children’s Hospital in Colombus, Ohio. “They use it for effects similar to opioids or for retreat from opioid materials, which can lead to slow breathing and such problems.”
People who deal with opiate addiction, pain, depression, anxiety and other conditions should see a health professional to get a copy for FDA -approved treatments, Hais said.
Is the use of Tianptine increasing?
Experts are not sure, but national statistics show a great increase in emergency calls related to the drug.
According to data analysis released earlier this year, poison control centers’ calls increased between 2018 and 2023. In about 40 % of cases, the person had to take medical care and more than half of them needed intensive care.
One explanation of the increase in calls is that most Americans use products.
But experts also say that these products make more emergency because they become more powerful and dangerous. And the researchers in New Jersey, who analyzed Neptune, found that the liquid also contains artificial cannabis and other drugs.
“You never fully know what the bottle is,” Callo said. “It is important for people to know that even if they have already used a product, they can produce bottles that contain something very different from what they are looking for.”
Are there policies that can reduce the use of Tianptine?
Tianceptine is not included in the Federal Controlled Material Act, which prohibits or restricts drugs that have no medical use or have high potential for abuse, such as heroin, LSD and PCP. But about dozens of states have adopted laws to ban or limit Tianptine, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Tennessee.
In some cases, these rules have led to more exit among Tianptine users that can be chemically addictive. But government data also shows success in reducing drug -related injuries.
Until recently, Alabama had the highest level of Tianptian calls in the south of the United States, which increased by more than 1400 % between 2018 to 2021.
