The Hidden Dangers of Drugs Sold at Gas Stations
Walk into some gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, or vape
stores and you may find brightly packaged pills, shots, gummies,
powders, and extracts displayed alongside ordinary consumer
products.
Some promise energy. Others are marketed for relaxation, mood, pain
relief, focus, or a sense of well-being. Certain products may be labeled
as herbal supplements or kratom products, while others contain
substances unfamiliar to many consumers.
The fact that these products can be purchased from a retail counter
can create a dangerous assumption:
If a gas station can legally sell it, it must be reasonably
safe.
That assumption can be wrong.
Products containing substances such as tianeptine
and highly concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH)
have attracted increasing concern from federal regulators, physicians,
poison centers, and addiction professionals.
The issue is becoming particularly urgent in 2026.
In July 2026, America’s Poison Centers issued a health advisory
reporting a sharp increase in exposures involving kratom and
kratom-derived products. Poison Centers recorded 3,803 exposure
cases in all of 2025 and another 3,190 cases by June 30, 2026,
putting 2026 on pace for a substantial year-over-year increase. Among
reported single-substance exposures, serious health effects and
hospitalizations were not uncommon.
Meanwhile, the FDA has warned consumers about tianeptine, sometimes
called “gas station heroin,” and has taken action
against concentrated 7-OH products because of their opioid activity and
potential for abuse.
These developments are changing what people need to understand about
substances sold over the counter.
What Are “Gas Station Drugs”?
“Gas station drugs” is not a medical diagnosis or formal drug
category.
It is an informal term describing psychoactive products that may be
available through gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, vape
stores, and similar retailers without a traditional prescription.
The category can include very different substances and
formulations.
Two that deserve particular attention are:
Tianeptine, an unapproved drug sometimes marketed as
a supplement, nootropic, mood enhancer, or alternative to opioids.
7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), an opioid-active
compound associated with kratom that is increasingly being sold in
highly concentrated products such as tablets, shots, gummies, and other
formulations.
These substances are not identical, and products containing them
should not all be treated as though they carry the same pharmacology or
risk.
What connects them is a larger public-health concern: consumers may
encounter products capable of producing powerful psychoactive or
opioid-like effects in retail environments that do not resemble
traditional drug markets.
Why Gas
Station Drugs Are Becoming a Bigger Concern
The availability of these products has evolved rapidly.
The FDA reported in 2025 that concentrated 7-OH products were
becoming readily available online and in gas stations, corner
stores, and vape shops. The agency expressed particular concern
about products sold as flavored gummies and other formulations that
could appeal to younger consumers.
Then came stronger warning signs.
America’s Poison Centers reported in July 2026 that Poison Centers
received 593 reports involving 7-OH exposure during
2025.
From January 1 through June 30, 2026, there were already 901
reports.
Average monthly 7-OH cases during the first half of 2026 represented
a 102% increase compared with the average during the final six
months of 2025.
That makes 7-OH one of the most important emerging substances for
consumers and families to understand.
The Most
Important Gas Station Drugs to Know About
Not every supplement sold in a convenience store is inherently
dangerous.
The concern centers on particular psychoactive products and
concentrated formulations.
Tianeptine, or “Gas Station
Heroin”
Tianeptine is perhaps the substance most closely associated with the
phrase gas station drug.
It is sometimes called “gas station heroin” because
products containing it have been sold through convenience stores, gas
stations, vape shops, smoke shops, and online retailers.
Tianeptine is used medically in some other countries, but the
FDA has not approved tianeptine for any medical use in the United
States. The agency says it is also not a lawful dietary
ingredient.
Products have been sold under names including:
ZaZa Tianna/Tianaa
Neptune’s Fix Pegasus TD
Red
Brand names and formulations can change, however, so identifying a
substance based only on branding is unreliable.
The FDA has warned that tianeptine products may be marketed as
nootropics, research chemicals, supplements, or products claiming to
improve mood, brain function, anxiety, depression, pain, or
opioid-related problems.
Why Is Tianeptine Dangerous?
One reason tianeptine deserves particular attention is its activity
at opioid receptors.
At sufficiently high doses, it can produce opioid-like effects,
including euphoria. Repeated use can also lead to tolerance, dependence,
compulsive use, and withdrawal.
FDA reports have linked tianeptine products with serious adverse
events including seizures, loss of consciousness,
hospitalization, and death. The agency has also warned about
potentially dangerous interactions with other medications.
The number of reported exposures has increased substantially.
A study of U.S. poison center data found 892 single-substance
tianeptine exposures between 2015 and 2023, with the exposure
rate increasing approximately 1,400% over that period.
About 40% of cases required medical admission.
FDA data subsequently showed poison center cases rising from only
four in 2013 to roughly 350 in 2024.
Easy availability does not mean low risk.
What Is 7-OH?
Another rapidly emerging concern is
7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly shortened to
7-OH.
7-OH is associated with the kratom plant, but an important
distinction needs to be made.
Traditional kratom leaf and highly concentrated 7-OH products are not
necessarily equivalent.
The FDA specifically made this distinction when it announced action
against concentrated 7-OH products in July 2025. The agency said its
action was targeting 7-OH rather than natural kratom leaf products.
Some commercial products contain concentrated amounts of 7-OH far
beyond what consumers might associate with ordinary botanical
kratom.
The FDA has described 7-OH as an opioid and warned that concentrated
products have significant abuse potential because 7-OH binds to opioid
receptors. The agency has also said there are no FDA-approved
drugs containing 7-OH and that 7-OH cannot lawfully be marketed
as a dietary supplement.
The 2026 Surge in
7-OH Poison Center Cases
The latest poison-center data make 7-OH especially newsworthy.
America’s Poison Centers reported 901 7-OH exposure cases
during only the first six months of 2026, compared with 593
during the entirety of 2025.
Among cases reporting exposure to 7-OH alone:
38.8% experienced serious health problems.
63.8% were treated at a healthcare facility.
20.5% were hospitalized.
Reported effects included nausea and vomiting, agitation, confusion,
sweating, rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, breathing problems,
excessive sleepiness, loss of consciousness, seizures, dependence, and
withdrawal.
This is not simply an abstract regulatory debate.
Poison centers are seeing a rapidly increasing number of real-world
exposures.
Is 7-OH the Same Thing as
Kratom?
Not exactly, and this distinction is important.
Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree
native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves naturally contain several
alkaloids, including mitragynine and much smaller amounts of
7-hydroxymitragynine.
Modern manufacturing can create products with much more concentrated
levels of particular alkaloids.
That means a highly concentrated 7-OH tablet or shot should not
automatically be treated as equivalent to traditional kratom leaf.
The FDA has explicitly focused its recent regulatory concerns on
concentrated 7-OH products rather than natural kratom
leaf.
For consumers, the distinction matters because packaging may
emphasize “kratom” while providing an incomplete picture of the strength
or pharmacology of the actual product.
Why “Legal” Does Not
Necessarily Mean Safe
One of the most persistent misconceptions surrounding gas station
drugs is that retail availability equals government approval.
It does not.
A product sitting on a convenience-store shelf has not necessarily
gone through the FDA drug-approval process.
It may not have been evaluated in controlled clinical trials for the
purpose claimed on its packaging.
And the amount of an active compound in the product may not
necessarily be obvious to the consumer.
Tianeptine demonstrates this problem particularly clearly.
Despite appearing in products sold through ordinary retail stores,
tianeptine is not FDA-approved for any medical use in the United
States.
The Tennessee Poison Center has previously warned about ZaZa Red and
noted that tianeptine amounts in products marketed as supplements may
not be standardized.
A storefront is a distribution channel.
It is not a guarantee of safety.
Gas Station Drugs Can
Produce Dependence
People sometimes associate addiction exclusively with substances such
as heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, or methamphetamine.
But the brain responds to pharmacology, not the location where a
substance was purchased.
A substance does not become less capable of causing dependence simply
because it came from a gas station rather than an illicit dealer.
Repeated exposure to opioid-active substances can cause the nervous
system to adapt.
Over time, someone may find that the amount they previously used no
longer produces the same effect.
They may increase their dose or use the product more frequently.
Eventually, stopping can become difficult because withdrawal symptoms
emerge.
Both tianeptine and 7-OH have been associated with dependence
and withdrawal.
What Can Gas
Station Drug Withdrawal Feel Like?
Withdrawal varies according to the substance involved, dose,
frequency, duration of use, other substances being used, and individual
health factors.
Because tianeptine and concentrated 7-OH can have opioid-like
effects, withdrawal may share characteristics with opioid
withdrawal.
Symptoms can potentially include restlessness, anxiety, sweating,
gastrointestinal problems, muscle discomfort, sleep disturbance,
agitation, cravings, and mood changes.
The exact experience can vary considerably.
People using large amounts, multiple substances, or products with
uncertain ingredients should not assume they know exactly what their
body has become dependent on.
A clinical assessment can help determine the safest approach.
The
Packaging Can Make These Products Look Safer Than They Are
Presentation matters.
An unfamiliar psychoactive substance packaged in a brightly colored
bottle or gummy pouch can feel psychologically different from an illicit
drug.
Words such as:
natural
herbal
supplement
wellness
energy
focus
or mood
can also influence how people perceive risk.
But marketing terminology does not determine pharmacology.
This is one reason the FDA has expressed concern about concentrated
7-OH products sold as fruit-flavored gummies and other appealing
formulations, particularly because they could attract younger
consumers.
A product can look like an energy supplement while containing a
substance capable of producing opioid effects.
Another
Risk: You May Not Know Exactly What You’re Taking
Uncertainty about formulation adds another layer of risk.
When warning consumers about Neptune’s Fix, the FDA stated that the
product labels listed tianeptine but that the products could
contain other harmful ingredients not listed on the label.
That creates obvious problems.
A person may make decisions about dosage or drug combinations based
on incomplete information.
Someone may also arrive at an emergency department believing they
took one substance when they were actually exposed to something
else.
Unknown potency becomes especially concerning when multiple
psychoactive substances are combined.
Mixing
Gas Station Drugs With Other Substances Can Increase Risk
Using an unfamiliar psychoactive product becomes even more
unpredictable when alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, prescription
medications, or other drugs are involved.
This is especially concerning when substances affect overlapping
systems in the brain.
Sedating or opioid-like substances can contribute to excessive
sedation and impaired breathing. Stimulant-like effects can place
additional stress on the cardiovascular system.
And when the exact ingredients or concentrations are uncertain,
predicting an interaction becomes even harder.
The FDA has specifically warned that tianeptine products can interact
with other medications in potentially life-threatening ways.
Signs Gas
Station Drug Use May Be Becoming a Problem
Not everyone who tries a psychoactive product will develop an
addiction.
But certain changes deserve attention.
A person may begin using the product more frequently than
intended.
The amount needed to produce the desired effect may increase.
They may start visiting multiple stores or ordering products online
to maintain a supply.
They may become anxious about running out.
Attempts to reduce or stop may produce withdrawal symptoms.
Money that previously went toward ordinary expenses may increasingly
go toward pills, shots, extracts, or gummies.
Family members may notice changes in mood, sleep, energy,
responsibilities, or behavior.
And perhaps most importantly, the person may continue using the
product despite recognizing that it is causing physical, psychological,
financial, occupational, or relationship problems.
At that point, the issue is no longer whether the product came from a
gas station.
The relevant question is whether dependence or a substance
use disorder has developed.
Gas Station Drug Use
Can Be Easy to Hide
Another challenge is that these products may not carry the same
visual stigma as traditional illicit drugs.
Someone does not need to meet a dealer.
They may not possess obvious drug paraphernalia.
Purchases can look like ordinary convenience-store transactions.
Small bottles, supplement containers, tablets, gummies, or packets
may not immediately concern family members.
That can allow escalating use to remain unnoticed for longer.
For parents, partners, and family members, unfamiliar products
appearing repeatedly around the home may be worth investigating rather
than assuming they are ordinary supplements.
Why People Start Using
Gas Station Drugs
People use these substances for many different reasons.
Some are looking for energy or relaxation.
Others are trying to manage anxiety, depression, stress, or chronic
pain.
Some may have heard that a product provides an opioid-like effect
without believing it carries opioid-like risks.
Others may begin using tianeptine, kratom-derived products, or
similar substances in an attempt to manage withdrawal from another
drug.
That last situation can become particularly complicated.
A person trying to stop one substance may unintentionally develop
dependence on another.
The FDA has warned that tianeptine products have been illegally
marketed with claims related to pain, anxiety, depression, and opioid
use disorder despite lacking FDA approval for those purposes.
If someone is using gas station products to self-treat withdrawal,
addiction, anxiety, depression, or pain, professional assessment may
provide safer and better-studied options.
Are Gas Station Drugs
Legal in Tennessee?
The legal landscape surrounding these substances is complicated and
can change.
Federal approval, federal controlled-substance scheduling, state
controlled-substance laws, and whether a product can legally be marketed
as a dietary supplement are separate questions.
A product being available for purchase does not establish that it is
FDA-approved, lawfully marketed, or medically safe.
Tennessee has previously paid specific attention to tianeptine, and
state lawmakers have continued considering restrictions involving kratom
extracts and related products.
Consumers should therefore avoid using store availability as a
shortcut for determining either legality or safety.
What Parents
Should Know About Gas Station Drugs
Parents often spend considerable time talking with teenagers and
young adults about alcohol, marijuana, fentanyl, prescription pills, and
vaping.
Gas station drugs deserve a place in that conversation.
The message does not need to be sensational.
It can be straightforward:
Something being sold openly does not mean it has been proven
safe.
Young people should know that products marketed as supplements,
kratom extracts, mood enhancers, nootropics, or energy products may
contain powerful psychoactive substances.
They should also understand that “legal,” “natural,” and “available
without a prescription” are not synonyms for harmless.
That education has become particularly relevant as regulators warn
about products designed as flavored gummies and other formulations with
potential appeal to younger consumers.
What to Do If Someone
Has a Bad Reaction
Serious symptoms after taking a gas station drug should not be
ignored.
Trouble breathing, seizures, severe confusion, inability to remain
conscious, or loss of consciousness can indicate a medical
emergency.
Because product ingredients may be uncertain, tell emergency medical
professionals exactly what was taken whenever possible. Bringing the
packaging or a photo of it may also help clinicians identify the
substance involved.
Can You Become
Addicted to Tianeptine or 7-OH?
Both substances raise concerns about dependence and problematic
use.
Tianeptine has opioid-receptor activity and has been associated with
abuse, tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, overdose, and serious adverse
outcomes.
Concentrated 7-OH is also capable of opioid activity. FDA officials
have warned about its abuse potential, while poison centers are
reporting dependence and withdrawal among the health effects associated
with exposure.
What begins as experimentation can therefore become repeated use.
And repeated use can eventually become difficult to stop.
When Gas Station
Drug Use Requires Treatment
Someone does not have to wait until their substance use reaches a
crisis before asking for help.
An assessment may be appropriate when someone:
uses tianeptine, 7-OH, or another psychoactive product every day,
needs increasing amounts,
experiences withdrawal between doses,
cannot reduce their use despite trying,
has strong cravings,
spends significant amounts of money obtaining the product,
uses the substance to feel normal,
combines it with other drugs,
continues despite health consequences,
or experiences repeated relapse after attempting to stop.
The appropriate treatment depends on the substance involved and the
severity of the problem.
Some people may require medical stabilization or withdrawal
management before beginning ongoing addiction treatment.
Others may be medically stable enough to begin structured outpatient
care.
Treatment
for Gas Station Drug Addiction in Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Tulip Hill Recovery provides addiction and dual diagnosis treatment
in Murfreesboro, Tennessee for people struggling with
substance use and co-occurring mental health concerns.
Treatment begins with an individualized assessment.
That is particularly important with emerging substances because
simply saying someone is using a “gas station drug” does not tell
clinicians enough.
The treatment team needs to understand what products are being used,
how frequently they are being taken, approximate amounts, whether
alcohol or other drugs are involved, whether withdrawal occurs between
doses, previous treatment history, physical health, mental health
symptoms, and the person’s current living environment.
Depending on those factors, someone may need a higher level of
medical stabilization before outpatient treatment.
For people who are clinically appropriate for outpatient care, Tulip
Hill Recovery offers structured treatment through programs including a
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).
Treatment may incorporate individual therapy, group counseling,
relapse prevention, psychiatric support, medication management when
clinically appropriate, recovery education, and treatment for
co-occurring mental health concerns.
The substance may be new.
The fundamentals of effective addiction treatment are not.
Frequently
Asked Questions About Gas Station Drugs
What are gas station drugs?
“Gas station drugs” is an informal term for psychoactive products that can be purchased from gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, vape stores, or similar retailers. Examples receiving significant public-health attention include tianeptine and concentrated 7-OH products.
What is gas station heroin?
“Gas station heroin” is a nickname commonly used for tianeptine, an unapproved drug found in products sold through some gas stations, convenience stores, vape shops, and online retailers. The FDA warns consumers not to purchase or use tianeptine products.
What is ZaZa Red?
ZaZa Red is one brand name that has been associated with products containing tianeptine. The Tennessee Poison Center has previously warned about ZaZa Red and tianeptine.
What is 7-OH?
7-OH stands for 7-hydroxymitragynine, an opioid-active compound associated with kratom. Highly concentrated 7-OH products have become increasingly available in forms including tablets, gummies, shots, and drink mixes.
Is 7-OH the same as kratom?
Not exactly. 7-OH is associated with the kratom plant, but concentrated commercial 7-OH products can be substantially different from traditional kratom leaf. The FDA has specifically distinguished its action against concentrated 7-OH from natural kratom leaf.
Are gas station drugs FDA-approved?
Retail availability does not mean FDA approval. Tianeptine is not FDA-approved for any medical use in the United States, and the FDA says there are no FDA-approved 7-OH drugs.
Can gas station drugs cause addiction?
Some can. Tianeptine and concentrated 7-OH have opioid activity and have been associated with abuse, dependence, and withdrawal.
Can you overdose on tianeptine?
Tianeptine has been associated with serious poisoning, hospitalization, loss of consciousness, seizures, and deaths.
Can 7-OH cause withdrawal?
Yes. America’s Poison Centers lists dependence and withdrawal syndromes among reported effects associated with 7-OH exposure.
Why are 7-OH products concerning in 2026?
Poison Centers reported 901 7-OH exposures during the first six months of 2026, compared with 593 during all of 2025. Average monthly reports during the first half of 2026 were 102% higher than during the last six months of 2025.
Are products from a gas station safer than street drugs?
Where a product is purchased does not establish its safety. Some products available through ordinary retailers contain powerful psychoactive compounds and may not be FDA-approved or tested as medications for the conditions they claim to address.
Should I stop taking tianeptine or 7-OH suddenly?
If you use one of these products regularly and experience withdrawal between doses, speak with a healthcare professional about the safest way to stop. The appropriate approach depends on the substance, amount, frequency of use, other drugs involved, and your medical history.
Does Tulip Hill Recovery treat addiction to emerging drugs?
Treatment for an emerging substance begins with an individualized assessment. Tulip Hill Recovery can evaluate substance use, withdrawal risk, co-occurring mental health concerns, and the appropriate level of care, including whether stabilization is needed before outpatient treatment.
The Bottom Line on Gas
Station Drugs
The most dangerous misconception about gas station drugs may be the
simplest one:
“They sell it at the store, so how dangerous could it really
be?”
Recent evidence provides an increasingly clear answer.
Tianeptine products have been associated with addiction, withdrawal,
seizures, loss of consciousness, hospitalization, overdose, and death.
Concentrated 7-OH products have become a growing concern because of
their opioid activity and rapidly increasing poison-center
exposures.
In 2026, the issue has become even harder to dismiss. Poison Centers
are seeing rapidly rising reports involving kratom derivatives and
concentrated 7-OH products, including serious health effects and
hospitalizations.
A substance does not become safe because it comes in a colorful
bottle.
It does not become harmless because it is called a supplement.
And it does not stop affecting opioid receptors because it was
purchased under fluorescent lights at a convenience store.
If use has become difficult to control, withdrawal has started, or
someone is using these products to manage another addiction or mental
health condition, professional treatment can help identify a safer path
forward.
Find Addiction
Treatment in Murfreesboro, TN
If you or someone you care about is struggling with tianeptine, 7-OH,
kratom-derived products, opioids, or another substance, Tulip
Hill Recovery in Murfreesboro, Tennessee can help determine the
appropriate next step.
Our team provides individualized addiction treatment designed around
the person’s substance use, mental health, recovery history, and current
needs.
Contact Tulip Hill Recovery today for a confidential
assessment or to verify your insurance benefits.
Clinical Sources and
References
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Warns
Consumers Not to Purchase or Use Any Tianeptine Product Due to Serious
Risks. May 8, 2025.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Takes Steps
to Restrict 7-OH Opioid Products Threatening American Consumers. July
29, 2025.
America’s Poison Centers. Health Advisory: Serious
Illnesses Associated with Kratom and 7-OH Products. July 8, 2026.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Tianeptine
Products Linked to Serious Harm, Overdoses, Death.
Tennessee Poison Center at Vanderbilt University Medical
Center. What Is Za Za Red?
Clinical Toxicology / National Poison Data System
research. Tianeptine Exposures Reported to United States Poison
Centers, 2015–2023.
Medically Reviewed By:
Clinically Reviewed By:
