DANGER SCALE
Tianeptine
Tianeptine is a prescription drug used for depression in some European, Asian, and Latin American countries, but it is not FDA-approved in the United States. It is available at gas stations across the U.S., labeled as a dietary supplement.
What is it?
Tianeptine is a prescription drug used for depression in some European, Asian, and Latin American countries, but it is not FDA-approved in the United States. It is available at gas stations across the U.S., labeled as a dietary supplement. Additionally, it is showing up under brand names like ZaZa Red, Tiana, and Nootropic. The CDC has identified it as an emerging public health risk, and according to recent studies, tianeptine is abused for its euphoric effect similar to heroin.
Other names
Tianna, ZaZa Red, TD Red
Where do people get it?
Most commonly gas stations but it is also available for sale legally, online.
How is it dangerous?
Tianeptine functions as an opioid because it hits opioid receptions in the brain, which creates withdrawals when users stop taking it. Additionally, it has a long half-life and is not detectable in normal urine drug screens. Users are reporting withdrawals from tianeptine, earning the name “gas station heroin”. Reports from the FDA and DEA have shown increases in poison control calls about Tianeptine, and as of 2022 it has been banned in Michigan, Alabama, Minnesota, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana.