MANHATTAN (KSNT) – Police in Manhattan have posted a warning Friday on an illegal and dangerous product that may be circulating at gas stations and convenience stores.
The Riley County Police Department (RCPD) posted the warning on social media on April 3 for tianeptine, stating this product is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for medical use. It is also not recognized as safe for use in food and doesn’t meet the definition of a dietary ingredient.
The RCPD said tianeptine, despite its status in the eyes of the FDA, is being falsely marketed as a dietary supplement and other medical products. Tianeptine is not legal to sell in Kansas but can be sometimes found for sale at convenience stores, gas stations, vape shops and through online retailers.
“Product names include Tianaa, Zaza, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus, and TD Red, for example. Tianeptine has also been referred to as “gas station heroin.”
Please be aware of what you are consuming and the dangers associated with these products. It’s not safe. Not approved. Not legal. And not worth the risk.”
RCPD social media post excerpt
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The FDA reports that tianeptine is often marketed as a product that can improve brain function and treat anxiety, depression, pain, opioid use disorder and other conditions, claims that are both dangerous and unproven. Poison control center cases involving this product have increased from 11 total cases between 2000 and 2013 to 151 cases in 2020 alone, according to the FDA.
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