EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WEHT)- It’s legal in Indiana and it’s found in gas stations throughout the area, but experts say Tianeptine, also known as Tianaa or Za Za, comes with serious side effects.
Substance abuse expert Nate Boyett says the product creates an opioid-level dependency in daily users and can create a physical dependency within days of chronic use, though he says Tianeptine is not, itself, an opioid.
Boyett says he’s seen a growing number of people seeking treatment recently, noting that the drug often brings a financial burden for its users. Boyett explains that users can quickly build up a tolerance to the substance, leading to the need to buy more and more product. Boyett says he’s heard of people buying $200 worth of the pills daily.
However, he says the problem with Tianeptine and other gas station supplements is not new. Boyett says Tianeptine is merely another in a line of products, including Delta-8 and ‘Spice.’ While ‘Spice’ is now illegal, Boyett says both Delta-8 and Tianeptine remain legal, but largely unregulated, in the state.
State Sen. Jim Tomes (R-Wadesville) says trying to stay ahead of emerging products like Tianeptine is a difficult task, also saying it could be hard to make the product illegal in the state while it also remains legal on the federal level.
