Parents Beware: Legal “Supplements” Sold to Kids at Gas Stations Are Sending Them from Convenience Store to ICU

Gas Station Heroin?

A Growing Public Health Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

Parents and Communities Must Act Now to Protect Our Youth

A dangerous new class of drugs is spreading across America, sold openly at gas stations, smoke shops, and convenience stores under innocent-sounding names. These substances, collectively known as “gas station heroin,” are creating a public health emergency that demands immediate attention from parents, law enforcement, and communities nationwide.

What Is “Gas Station Heroin”?

The term “gas station heroin” primarily refers to tianeptine and other synthetic opioid-like compounds, including dangerous 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products. Despite being sold legally in many areas, these substances carry risks comparable to heroin and prescription opioids.

Tianeptine is typically manufactured in overseas laboratories, often in China or India. While approved as an antidepressant in some countries under the brand name Stablon, it has never received FDA approval for medical use in the United States. On American shelves, it masquerades under brand names like “Zaza,” “Tianna Red,” and “Neptune’s Fix.”

7-OH products are semi-synthetic compounds often falsely marketed as “natural kratom extracts.” These substances are approximately 30 times more potent than morphine, yet they’re sold alongside energy drinks and cigarettes.

The Alarming Reality

The accessibility of these drugs is shocking. Unlike traditional controlled substances, no ID checks or age restrictions prevent minors from purchasing these potentially lethal products. They sit on store shelves, often marketed as dietary supplements or herbal products, giving them a veneer of legitimacy that belies their dangerous nature.

Recent surveillance data reveals the scope of this crisis. From January 2023 to April 2025, emergency medical services responded to 4,233 kratom/7-OH-related overdoses nationwide. The eastern United States saw the highest concentration with 1,971 encounters (46.6%), followed by central states with 1,191 (28.1%), and western states with 1,071 (25.3%). Most alarming is the significant increase in emergency encounters across all regions.

Dangerous Effects and Rapid Addiction

Users report that tianeptine produces opioid-like effects, including intense euphoria followed by severe cravings. However, the drug’s dangers extend far beyond its addictive potential:

Rapid tolerance development: Users often consume up to 250 times the recommended therapeutic dose
-Severe withdrawal symptoms: Anxiety, tremors, depression, vomiting, and insomnia
– Respiratory depression: Can lead to coma and death
– Seizures and overdose: Particularly dangerous when combined with other depressants
– Undetectable by standard drug tests: Making monitoring and treatment more difficult

The withdrawal symptoms from these substances are so severe that naloxone (Narcan) should be administered if someone experiences overdose symptoms, even though these drugs may not show up on traditional drug screenings.

Why This Matters to Parents

Parents must understand that their children can easily access these dangerous substances without their knowledge. The drugs’ availability at everyday retail locations and their marketing as legal alternatives to traditional drugs make them particularly appealing to curious teenagers and young adults.

The innocent-sounding product names and supplement-like packaging create a false sense of safety. Many young people may not realize they’re consuming substances with heroin-like effects and addiction potential.

Current Regulatory Response

Federal agencies are working to address this crisis, but progress is slow:

– The FDA has issued consumer warnings and sent warning letters to distributors
– Import alerts have been placed on tianeptine shipments at borders
– The DEA has considered banning these substances
– However, the drugs remain legally available in many jurisdictions

This regulatory gap means the burden of protection currently falls on communities, parents, and local law enforcement.

What Communities Can Do

For Parents:
– Have open conversations with children about these substances
– Monitor for unusual purchases at gas stations and smoke shops
– Learn the street names: “Zaza,” “Tianna Red,” “Neptune’s Fix,” and various kratom products
– Watch for signs of opioid-like intoxication or withdrawal

For Communities:
– Advocate for local ordinances restricting sales
– Push for age verification requirements
– Support law enforcement training on these emerging threats
– Raise awareness through schools and community organizations

For Law Enforcement:
– Conduct regular inspections of gas stations and smoke shops
– Investigate retailers selling these products to minors
– Collaborate with public health officials on education campaigns
– Stay updated on new product names and formulations

The Urgent Need for Action

The “gas station heroin” crisis represents a perfect storm of accessibility, potency, and regulatory gaps. These substances are creating new pathways to opioid addiction while flying under the radar of traditional drug prevention efforts.

Every day these products remain on shelves represents another opportunity for someone’s child, sibling, or friend to stumble into a potentially life-altering addiction. The time for awareness and action is now.

Communities across the nation must work together to close the regulatory gaps that allow these dangerous substances to be sold alongside candy and energy drinks. Parents need to educate themselves and their children about these emerging threats. Law enforcement requires resources and training to identify and address these products effectively.

The fight against “gas station heroin” will require the same coordinated response that has been applied to other drug crises, but with the added urgency that comes from knowing these substances are being sold legally to anyone who walks through a convenience store door.

Our children’s safety depends on our collective action today. The longer we wait, the more lives will be affected by this hidden epidemic occurring in plain sight at the corner store.
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