Pallone & Durbin Reintroduce Bill to Prohibit Marketing of Dangerous “Gas Station Heroin” Drug

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.  (D-NJ) and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced legislation to prohibit the marketing of tianeptine – an unapproved drug commonly known as “gas station heroin” –  to consumers nationwide.

Tianeptine is frequently sold in gas stations, convenience stores, and online as a purported dietary supplement and sold under labels such as “Neptune’s Fix”, despite not having Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  approval in the United States.

According to America’s Poison Control Centers, tianeptine exposures surged from just 6 in 2014 to nearly 400 in 2023. In New Jersey alone, the Poison Information and Education System received 41 calls related to tianeptine exposure between June 2023 and February 2024.

“Tianeptine or ‘gas station heroin’ has no place on our store shelves. In just eight months, New Jersey had 41 calls to poison control related to this dangerous drug, which is essentially five calls a month. That’s beyond troubling. These products make people incredibly sick, often require hospitalization, and pose a particular threat to our nation’s children. I’m proud to partner with Senator Durbin to reintroduce this bill to ensure FDA has the power to prohibit the marketing of ‘gas station heroin’,” Pallone said. “I look forward to working together to remove tianeptine from store shelves and to stop the marketing of ‘gas station heroin’ products.” 

“Americans put their trust in dietary supplements to improve their health, but some unscrupulous companies are abusing that trust by marketing dangerous ingredients in some of these products, like tianeptine,” Durbin said.  “Consumers have gotten sick and even died.  That’s why I’m introducing the Prohibiting Tianeptine and Other Dangerous Products Act to rid the market of tianeptine and protect American consumers.”

The bicameral Prohibiting Tianeptine and Other Dangerous Products Act would give the FDA the authority to prohibit the marketing of products, such as tianeptine, as dietary supplements. Pallone is the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health policy, including FDA matters. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

According to FDA, tianeptine is a “potentially dangerous substance that is not FDA-approved for any medical use but is illegally sold with claims to improve brain function and treat anxiety, depression, pain, opioid use disorder and other conditions.”  Reports indicate that people quickly develop a tolerance to tianeptine, which can result in increased use and higher dosages resulting in an alarming spike in the number of calls to poison control centers across the country.  Tianeptine mimics the sedative effects of opioids and is sold in smoke shops, convenience stores and gas stations, which has led to its “gas station heroin” street name.

Anyone who has been exposed to tianeptine should call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 or 911 for immediate medical attention.

A copy of the bill text is available here.