Latest news with #Tianeptine
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - The CDC's injury center is saving lives — but for how much longer?
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data last month showing that drug overdose deaths declined by nearly 27 percent in the U.S. in 2024 compared to 2023, I felt three competing emotions. The first emotion was joy. As the executive director of the Safe States Alliance — a partnership of more than 800 professionals and students dedicated to injury and violence prevention — I work with individuals across the country dedicated to saving lives. Here was proof positive of their impact: the equivalent of 81 American lives saved every day over an entire year. The second emotion was anger. The Trump administration is proposing to eliminate the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the leading federal agency that helps states and communities prevent deaths from drug overdose and other threats. At a time when the U.S. is experiencing a welcome and long-overdue decline in drug overdose deaths, a decline that public health experts attribute to the very programs the administration seeks to dismantle, this progress is clearly threatened. The third emotion was hope. And for that, I have Hayley Jelinek to thank. Jelinek is a health educator at the Two Rivers Public Health Department in Kearney, Nebraska. From running game show-style medication safety training sessions at senior centers to delivering Narcan to local bars — she once distributed more than 250 boxes of Narcan in 90 minutes — Jelinek works relentlessly to teach people how to prevent and treat drug overdose. Jelinek is a remarkable credit to her profession, but her work is also deeply personal. Four years ago, her son, Ehan, who grappled with mental health and substance misuse issues for more than a decade, died of acute intoxication from tianeptine, an over-the-counter supplement known as 'gas station heroin.' Tianeptine is marketed as a mood enhancer that can improve cognitive function. In reality, it is a dangerous and addictive opioid agonist that can kill on first use. As Jelinek says, 'Not one more kid should have to die from this stuff and not one more mom should have to go through what I've gone through.' The Trump administration should heed these words. For as much as we all celebrate the recent declines, more than 57,000 people in the U.S. still succumbed to drug overdoses last year. We're nowhere near out of the woods yet. But the administration isn't treating this seriously. In testimony before congressional committees the day after the CDC announced the new overdose death data, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who is attempting to fire 20,000 federal workers, claw back billions of dollars from local health departments and stop federal research funding on issues like addiction and substance use — claimed that this 'restructuring' was designed to improve Americans' health. He also suggested that the administration's focus on mental health would compensate for the loss of any overdose prevention programs. He could not be more wrong. And it's why so many organizations are fighting back. Eliminating the CDC's injury center would dismantle the CDC's capacity to address not only the opioid crisis but also a range of other public health issues, from drowning to suicide. For overdose prevention alone, it would result in the loss of approximately $280 million in annual support to 90 health departments and $14 million for tribal overdose prevention efforts. The injury center's Overdose Data to Action program distributes naloxone, improves surveillance and guides state and local responses to the opioid crisis, enabling targeted responses to emerging drug threats. CDC is also the only federal agency working to reduce overdoses with access to laboratory capabilities. It's a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, treatment and harm reduction strategies. If President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have their way, all of that work would be gone. Eliminating the injury center would be akin to pulling firefighters off the scene while the fire is still burning. Any 'savings' would pale in comparison to the lives lost and families destroyed. Ehan was a devoted son, a loving husband and a proud dad to two bonus daughters. He made friends easily and liked to be silly, making up songs at the grocery store and lifting his girls upside down so they could walk on the ceiling of his front porch at home. He bravely dealt with a hard set of health challenges and, at 26, had his whole life in front of him. Jelinek carries him in her heart every day, crisscrossing Kearney and surrounding areas to make sure other parents don't lose their children. If the administration and Congress save the CDC's Injury Center, they would be honoring Ehan and supporting the type of work that Jelinek and so many others do each day. If it is eliminated, more parents will bury more children. The stakes could not be any higher, and the choice could not be any clearer. I urge our leaders to make the right call. Sharon Gilmartin is the executive director of the Safe States Alliance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hill
The CDC's injury center is saving lives — but for how much longer?
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data last month showing that drug overdose deaths declined by nearly 27 percent in the U.S. in 2024 compared to 2023, I felt three competing emotions. The first emotion was joy. As the executive director of the Safe States Alliance — a partnership of more than 800 professionals and students dedicated to injury and violence prevention — I work with individuals across the country dedicated to saving lives. Here was proof positive of their impact: the equivalent of 81 American lives saved every day over an entire year. The second emotion was anger. The Trump administration is proposing to eliminate the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the leading federal agency that helps states and communities prevent deaths from drug overdose and other threats. At a time when the U.S. is experiencing a welcome and long-overdue decline in drug overdose deaths, a decline that public health experts attribute to the very programs the administration seeks to dismantle, this progress is clearly threatened. The third emotion was hope. And for that, I have Hayley Jelinek to thank. Jelinek is a health educator at the Two Rivers Public Health Department in Kearney, Nebraska. From running game show-style medication safety training sessions at senior centers to delivering Narcan to local bars — she once distributed more than 250 boxes of Narcan in 90 minutes — Jelinek works relentlessly to teach people how to prevent and treat drug overdose. Jelinek is a remarkable credit to her profession, but her work is also deeply personal. Four years ago, her son, Ehan, who grappled with mental health and substance misuse issues for more than a decade, died of acute intoxication from tianeptine, an over-the-counter supplement known as 'gas station heroin.' Tianeptine is marketed as a mood enhancer that can improve cognitive function. In reality, it is a dangerous and addictive opioid agonist that can kill on first use. As Jelinek says, 'Not one more kid should have to die from this stuff and not one more mom should have to go through what I've gone through.' The Trump administration should heed these words. For as much as we all celebrate the recent declines, more than 57,000 people in the U.S. still succumbed to drug overdoses last year. We're nowhere near out of the woods yet. But the administration isn't treating this seriously. In testimony before congressional committees the day after the CDC announced the new overdose death data, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who is attempting to fire 20,000 federal workers, claw back billions of dollars from local health departments and stop federal research funding on issues like addiction and substance use — claimed that this 'restructuring' was designed to improve Americans' health. He also suggested that the administration's focus on mental health would compensate for the loss of any overdose prevention programs. He could not be more wrong. And it's why so many organizations are fighting back. Eliminating the CDC's injury center would dismantle the CDC's capacity to address not only the opioid crisis but also a range of other public health issues, from drowning to suicide. For overdose prevention alone, it would result in the loss of approximately $280 million in annual support to 90 health departments and $14 million for tribal overdose prevention efforts. The injury center's Overdose Data to Action program distributes naloxone, improves surveillance and guides state and local responses to the opioid crisis, enabling targeted responses to emerging drug threats. CDC is also the only federal agency working to reduce overdoses with access to laboratory capabilities. It's a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, treatment and harm reduction strategies. If President Trump and Secretary Kennedy have their way, all of that work would be gone. Eliminating the injury center would be akin to pulling firefighters off the scene while the fire is still burning. Any 'savings' would pale in comparison to the lives lost and families destroyed. Ehan was a devoted son, a loving husband and a proud dad to two bonus daughters. He made friends easily and liked to be silly, making up songs at the grocery store and lifting his girls upside down so they could walk on the ceiling of his front porch at home. He bravely dealt with a hard set of health challenges and, at 26, had his whole life in front of him. Jelinek carries him in her heart every day, crisscrossing Kearney and surrounding areas to make sure other parents don't lose their children. If the administration and Congress save the CDC's Injury Center, they would be honoring Ehan and supporting the type of work that Jelinek and so many others do each day. If it is eliminated, more parents will bury more children. The stakes could not be any higher, and the choice could not be any clearer. I urge our leaders to make the right call. Sharon Gilmartin is the executive director of the Safe States Alliance.
Medscape
13-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
FDA Issues Warning on ‘Gas Station Heroin' Tianeptine
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a health warning regarding products containing tianeptine, which is often called 'gas station heroin' because of its easy availability at gas station stores. The FDA noted that tianeptine is associated with an increasing number of adverse events, including death, and called its use 'a dangerous and growing health trend facing our nation,' especially for youth. Other associated adverse events cited by the agency include coma, agitation, confusion, hypertension, respiratory depression, tachycardia, and vomiting. 'Historically, there has been a delayed recognition of fast-growing trends,' the FDA wrote in its warning letter. Although it is closely following tianeptine products' distribution and sale, 'it is critical that you appreciate the magnitude of the underlying danger of these products and disseminate information about it,' the agency added. Interestingly, the product is licensed as an atypical antidepressant in some countries and is commonly prescribed for oral intake at 12.5 mg thrice daily. However, because higher doses can produce euphoria, its use has been restricted and a warning has been added to its drug label about possible addiction. Tianeptine has not been approved by the FDA for any medical use in the United States, is not scheduled under its Controlled Substances Act, is not considered to be safe in food, and has not met regulations as a dietary ingredient. 'Nevertheless, tianeptine is being marketed as a 'research chemical,' a 'nootropic' cognitive enhancer, or a dietary supplement,' the agency reported. In addition to gas stations, the product — which also goes by names such as Tianaa, Zaza, Neptune's Fix, Pegasus, and TD Red — is often available at convenience stores, vape shops, and online retailers. The FDA noted that unlike the 37.5 mg total daily dose amount recommended by countries that have approved the product, there have been reports of individuals in the United States ingesting doses from 50 mg to 10,000 mg. So far, the agency has sent warning letters to companies that distribute and sell products that contain tianeptine and is taking steps to warn individuals about the drug's potential severe adverse events. In addition, it has issued an import alert to help detain shipment of the products containing the drug at US borders. The FDA recommended that healthcare professionals talk to patients about these products and encourage their avoidance. Tianeptine may not be identified in routine drug-screening panels. Those who believe a patient is experiencing a related adverse event should contact (External Link Disclaimer) and can visit the FDA's MedWatch website to submit a report.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
FDA says ‘dangerous' substance known as ‘gas station heroin' poses major risk to young people
The head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is sounding the alarm on a dangerous drug referred to as "gas station heroin," that can lead to serious harm, including death. FDA Commissioner Martin A. Makary sent a letter to his colleagues last week to draw their attention to what he called a "dangerous and growing health trend" facing the nation and young people. Makary said there is an increasing number of adverse events involving products that contain tianeptine. Tianeptine, often called "gas station heroin," is sold in gas stations through a variety of products, despite the drug not being approved by the FDA. "I am very concerned," Makary wrote. "I want the public to be especially aware of this dangerous product and the serious and continuing risk it poses to America's youth." 'Gas Station Heroin' Is Growing Threat In New Jersey, Health Officials Warn: 'Dangerous And Addictive' The products are typically sold at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and online retailers, and go by names like Tianaa, ZaZa, Neptune's Fix, Pegasus and TD Red. Read On The Fox News App Makary said the FDA is following the distribution and sale of products that contain tianeptine but called on his colleagues to disseminate information about the drug while appreciating the magnitude of its underlying danger. Tianeptine is licensed and marketed in some countries as an atypical antidepressant, and in countries where it is approved, the typical labeled dose to treat depression is 12.5 mg orally, three times per day, Makary said. When higher doses are taken, they can produce euphoria. Some countries have taken steps to restrict how tianeptine is prescribed or dispensed and have even revised the labels to warn people of its potential addiction. Teen Drug Overdoses Hit Record High, Driven Primarily By Fentanyl Poisoning, Says New Report In the U.S., though, tianeptine is not listed as part of the Controlled Substances Act. The drug is often taken recreationally, though if stopped abruptly, users could experience withdrawal symptoms similar to those associated with opioid withdrawal – craving, sweating, diarrhea and more. If tianeptine is ingested, Makary wrote, adverse events could include agitation, coma, confusion, death, drowsiness, hypertension, nausea, respiratory depression, sweating, tachycardia and vomiting. Two years ago, New Jersey health officials warned that two products sold as dietary supplements in gas stations and online – Neptune's Elixir and ZaZa Red – had caused a spike in illnesses. What Is Ketamine, The Drug That Killed Matthew Perry On October 28? Between June and November 2023, there were 20 reported cases of tianeptine causing "severe clinical effects" in New Jersey, as noted in a Feb. 1 alert from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2023, the FDA posted an alert warning of the dangers of Neptune's Fix or any other product containing tianeptine. "FDA has received severe adverse event reports after use of Neptune's Fix products, including seizures and loss of consciousness leading to hospitalization," the agency stated. "FDA considers tianeptine to be a substance that does not meet the statutory definition of a dietary ingredient and is an unsafe food additive. The FDA is aware of several serious adverse event reports associated with tianeptine." On Jan. 28, 2024, Neptune Resources, LLC, the maker of Neptune's Fix, issued a voluntary recall of its products due to the presence of tianeptine — but experts are warning that other products may also contain the drug. Anyone who is using tianeptine or a product containing tianeptine and is experiencing withdrawal symptoms can call the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 or seek emergency medical assistance, experts advised. Fox News Digital's Melissa Rudy contributed to this article source: FDA says 'dangerous' substance known as 'gas station heroin' poses major risk to young people
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Health
- USA Today
FDA issues warning against tianeptine use, also called 'gas station heroin'
FDA issues warning against tianeptine use, also called 'gas station heroin' Show Caption Hide Caption FDA will reduce food and drug inspections due to federal layoffs FDA scales back routine inspections due to support staff layoffs, prioritizing high-risk cases amid government restructuring and budget cuts. Straight Arrow News This article discusses suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning the public about a drug rising in popularity, commonly referred to as "gas station heroin." Tianeptine poses a "dangerous and growing health trend" across the U.S., particularly putting young people at risk, Food and Drugs Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said in a May 8 news release. No use of the drug has received FDA approval as it can result in serious harm or death, Makary clarified. He emphasized the public must address the trend before it becomes the latest example of delayed recognition patterns previously seen in opioid abuse and youth vaping. "I am very concerned. I want the public to be especially aware of this dangerous product and the serious and continuing risk it poses to America's youth," Makary said. "While the FDA is closely following the distribution and sale of these products, it is critical that you appreciate the magnitude of the underlying danger of these products, and disseminate information about it." Here's what to know about tianeptine. Is tianeptine banned in the U.S.? Tianeptine has been banned in 10 U.S. states: Alabama Florida Georgia Indiana Kentucky Michigan Mississippi Ohio Tennessee North Carolina What products is tianeptine sold as? Makary said tianeptine is sold under various product names, including Tianaa, Zaza, Neptune's Fix, Pegasus and TD Red. Is tianeptine legal in other countries? Tianeptine is licensed in some countries and marketed as an atypical antidepressant meant to treat depression through three daily 12.5 mg oral doses, according to Makary. "Higher doses can produce euphoria, and some countries have restricted how tianeptine is prescribed and dispensed or revised the drug label to warn of possible addiction," Makary said. "FDA recommends that health care professionals encourage patients to avoid all products containing tianeptine, including those claiming to treat an ailment or disorder." What is tianeptine? Tianeptine is prescribed as an antidepressant in some European, Asian and Latin American countries, but it's not approved for any medical use in the U.S. Still, companies are marketing and selling tianeptine products as dietary supplements typically in pill and powder form, claiming it can improve brain function and treat depression, anxiety, pain and even opioid use disorder. The drug is typically available gas stations, convenience stores, vape shops and online retailers, according to the FDA. While many use tianeptine to treat their ailments and assume they are safe because of their availability. However, the FDA said tianeptine is a prime example of availability not indicating effectiveness or safety. Tianeptine has been banned in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee. Can people get addicted to tianeptine? According to the Cleveland Clinic, tianeptine is addictive. In an April 2024 interview with USA TODAY, Alabama woman Chrissy Reifschneider said she tried tianeptine pills after a family member who worked at a gas station recommended them to her. Within days, she said she became addicted to the drug, and experienced three gruesome years. Reifschneider said she took about five pills every four hours in which she experienced hair loss, weight loss, auditory hallucinations; developed paranoia surrounding electronics and suicidal ideations. "I thought well, I'm not sticking a needle in my arm, so I literally convinced myself that I wasn't a drug addict until I realized I didn't recognize who I was anymore," Reifschneider, who is now sober, told USA TODAY last year. "It's crazy to think that these gas station pills just controlled me. I was ashamed because I'd rather people know I was shooting up heroin than actually spending all this time and money on over-the-counter (drugs)." What are the risks of using tianeptine? The FDA lists the following adverse events reported in people who ingested tianeptine. Agitation Confusion Drowsiness Nausea Sweating Vomiting Tachycardia Hypertension Respiratory depression Coma Death The FDA also said some symptoms of tianeptine withdrawal are similar to opioid discontinuation, including: Craving Sweating Goose flesh or goosebumps Diarrhea Muscle aches and pain Contributing: Katie Camero
