Gas stations and convenience stores may seem like unlikely places for danger, but another dangerous drug called the ‘Gas Station Heroin’ has quietly infiltrated these places.
Read the tweet below this post.
This dangerous substance poses a silent threat as it comes in small, innocuous-looking bottles with flashy labels.
These marketed “energy shots” are putting unsuspecting Americans at risk and drawing concern from health officials.
These products, which are labeled as energy boosters or cognitive enhancers under names like Zaza, Tianaa, and Pegasus, contain tianeptine.
This substance mimics opioids in the brain but remains technically legal to sell despite not being FDA-approved for any medical use in America.
The regulatory failure surrounding tianeptine exemplifies government ineffectiveness at protecting Americans.
While the FDA has issued warnings, they have taken minimal enforcement action as these products continue to be sold openly across the country, particularly in conservative states where regulations have not yet been implemented.
U.S. poison control centers have reported a shocking 525% increase in tianeptine-related calls from 2018 to 2023.
Unlike typical antidepressants, tianeptine acts on the same brain receptors as opioids, triggering dopamine release that creates high addiction potential.
Recreational users often consume up to 3000mg daily, 60 times higher than clinical doses used in European countries where the drug is actually regulated for depression treatment.
The dangers are severe and potentially deadly. Misuse can cause symptoms similar to opioid overdose, including respiratory depression, coma, or death.
Those who become dependent face withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, depression, chills, and muscle pain, suffering that could have been prevented with proper federal oversight.
“You never quite know what’s in that bottle,” Dr. Diane Calello warned.
“It’s kind of this gray area of consumer products, or supplements, where the contents are not regulated or tested the way they would be with a medication,” she added.
While the federal government remains ineffective, state-level action has shown positive results.
About a dozen conservative-led states have passed laws restricting tianeptine sales, with Alabama seeing a significant decrease in poison control calls after implementing restrictions in 2021.
This state-based approach demonstrates how local control often provides better protection for citizens than distant federal bureaucracies.
The absence of federal scheduling as a controlled substance has allowed tianeptine to flourish in a dangerous regulatory gray area.
Despite technically being illegal to sell as a dietary supplement, enforcement remains minimal.
Meanwhile, these products continue targeting vulnerable Americans seeking relief from pain or anxiety, often the same communities devastated by government-fueled opioid and economic crises.
Even more concerning, some individuals with opioid use disorder turn to tianeptine to manage withdrawal symptoms when they cannot access proper treatment.
Furthermore, the CDC recommends using naloxone, the opioid reversal drug, to treat tianeptine overdoses, confirming the opioid-like nature of this substance.
However, there has been no coordinated federal effort to address this growing threat to public health and safety in our communities.
For patriotic Americans concerned about protecting their families, awareness and state-level advocacy remain the best defenses against this threat.
Parents should warn their children about these dangerous products masquerading as harmless energy shots on gas station shelves.
‘Gas station heroin’ supplements are widely available — but experts warn of ‘underlying danger’ https://t.co/fVD5SJ2LDj pic.twitter.com/G2EnUfYrfV
— New York Post (@nypost) June 16, 2025
