October 14, 2022

Currently sweeping the nation is a legal and available substance with the potential for addiction being sold at gas stations of all places.

Labelled ‘ZaZa Red’ and ‘Tiana,’ these pills are actually a banned substance called tianeptine that, at high doses, behaves just like an opioid, and in his 25+ years of working in substance use disorder treatment, Oxford CEO Mark Stovall says he’s never seen anything like it.

According to Stovall, far too many people assume that because a drug is legal, it is safe, and that could not be further from the truth. People under the influence of gas station drugs and synthetic chemicals often experience serious mental health conditions, including psychosis, delirium, and hallucinations. And, despite these symptoms, nearly 75% of patients being treated at Oxford state that they use the drug.

To read more about this substance, other synthetic gas station drugs, and tips on how to quell this situation, visit the Columbus Dispatch.