NC Family Staff | April 18, 2024 | SHARE: 
A state legislative committee is seeking to crack down on tianeptine, often referred to as “gas station heroin,” by seeking to have the drug added to North Carolina’s list of controlled substances. The House Select Committee on Substance Abuse met Tuesday and approved a proposal to the North Carolina General Assembly to address what has become a widely available, highly addictive, and dangerous drug.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings about tianeptine, because it has been linked to seizures, loss of consciousness, and death. Often marketed and sold in liquid and pill form under the names Neptune’s Fix, Zaza, and Tianna, the drug is available in many convenience stores, gas stations, and vape shops. It is currently unregulated and has no age restriction for purchase.
The committee’s proposal would classify tianeptine as a Schedule II controlled substance. According to information presented to the committee, at least four states regulate tianeptine as Schedule II, eight states regulate it more stringently as Schedule I, and similar legislation is pending in a number of other states.
The N.C. General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on April 24 for the beginning of the 2024 “Short” Legislative Session, and this proposal to regulate tianeptine as a controlled substance has the potential to be considered fairly quickly.
