By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
April 22, 2024
Tianeptine, also known as “gas-station heroin,” could be banned in North Carolina if a group of lawmakers tasked with addressing drug use has its way. In its April 16 report, the House Select Committee on Substance Abuse suggested that the Legislature deem tianeptine a Schedule II controlled substance, a category that includes cocaine, fentanyl and oxycodone among other frequently abused substances.
“The Christian Action League applauds the initiative taken by North Carolina lawmakers in proposing a ban on tianeptine, a drug of growing concern in our communities. We issued a stern warning to parents about the dangers of this drug, which is alarmingly accessible, in one of our news reports earlier this year,” says the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League.
He said tianeptine presents significant risks, including its potential for abuse, addiction and adverse health effects and called legislative action to restrict its availability “a crucial step toward safeguarding public health.”
Developed in France in the 1960s, tianeptine has been used in some countries in small doses as an antidepressant, but has never been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Nonetheless, it is marketed as a mood-boosting supplement under such names as Coaxil, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus, Red Dawn, Stablon, Tianaa, Tianna and Za Za Red and sold in smoke shops and convenience stores to customers without age restrictions. Beyond its addictive properties, reported side effects of the drug include agitation, hallucinations, high blood pressure, coma and even death.
“We urge parents to remain vigilant and informed about the dangers of tianeptine and other substances. Education is key to preventing substance abuse among our youth, and we encourage parents to have open and honest conversations with their children about the risks associated with drug use,” Creech said
The Committee on Substance Abuse also recommended that the General Assembly study the effects of xylazine, a powerful sedative used by veterinarians as a tranquilizer. The Drug Enforcement Administration recently reported that it had seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of the 50 states and that in 2022 nearly a quarter of fentanyl powder and 7 percent of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine.
“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in a recent press release about the drug, which is also known as “tranq.” The agency says mixing the two drugs puts users at a higher risk of fatal overdose. Further, since xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone does not reverse its effects.
In addition to its recommendations on tianeptine and xylazine, the House Select Committee on Substance Abuse urged lawmakers to pass House Bill 563 to regulate the sale and distribution of hemp-derived consumable products and kratom products, both of which are currently widely available across the state.
Among other provisions the bill would make it unlawful to sell or to give hemp-derived consumables or kratom products to anyone under 18 without parental or guardian consent, and it would ban the products from public school property.
The CAL urges lawmakers in both chambers to heed the advice of the substance abuse committee and will continue to monitor bills that are based on the committee’s recommendations now that the session is underway.
“The Christian Action League remains committed to supporting efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and substance abuse crisis. We cannot afford to be indifferent to any practice that affects moral life,” Creech said. “Drug abuse removes moral restraints, deadens moral sensibilities, dulls the edge of the soul’s perception, and results in terrible spiritual blindness. By whatever standard Christians undertake to address alcohol and drug abuse, they are the sworn enemy of all things most precious to the cause of Christ. People lean on these drugs as a way of life, rather than Christ who is the life. If Christ is the life, then no Christian can ever sign an armistice with alcohol and drugs.”