'This stuff is dangerous.' Concerns grow over highly addictive 'gas station heroin'
The FDA issued a warning on the product and said consumers should not purchase or use any Neptune’s Fix products - or any other product with tianeptine.
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Officials in New Jersey want "gas station heroin" off store shelves as the unapproved dietary supplement becomes a growing concern in the state.
Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration asked all retailers to voluntarily stop selling Neptune’s Fix or any other tianeptine products.
The FDA issued a warning on the product and said consumers should not purchase or use any Neptune’s Fix products, or any other product with tianeptine – a potentially dangerous substance that is not FDA-approved for any medical use.
Neptune's Fix is sold at gas stations and convenience stores. It's legal, but it includes a highly addictive supplement that includes a depression drug.
The FDA says the label on Neptune’s Fix states it contains the antidepressant tianeptine. The federal agency says the product may contain harmful ingredients not listed on the label.
RELATED: NJ Poison Center warns consumers of ‘gas station heroin’ Neptune’s Fix
RELATED: Online petition calls for ban on tianeptine, aka 'gas station heroin'
State officials and doctors have also raised awareness of the product. However, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. says there is no enforcement and that more people are becoming dependent on it.
“This stuff is dangerous, right, it's killing people. It's highly addictive. It's not an opium. It has the same impact, where if you take it, you feel you have to take more and larger amount. Because it is addictive, I guess is the best way to put it,” Pallone said.
Between June and November of 2023, the New Jersey Poison Control Center says it received reports of 20 cases of tianeptine ingestion that resulted in severe effects, such as seizures and loss of consciousness. There were 38 reports of exposure.
The Poison Control Center warns synthetic cannabinoids could also be in the products.
Twelve states have already banned the sale of tianeptine so far.
