Buying something at a gas station or convenience store is a normal, everyday experience. It may be part of your daily routine. Often the things you buy are things you’re used to having — such as a coffee, soda, or snack along your commute — so much that you don’t think twice about their potential for substance abuse or their dangers to your health. But there are certain items sold on the shelf that require such attention: namely, gas station drugs.
Gas Station Drugs are On the Rise
Nowadays, there has been a rise in new substances, mired in murky legality, that can be highly dangerous. They may be marketed as legal alternatives to controlled drugs, shares the Talbot County Health Department, but they’re unregulated and in some cases, addictive. You may have seen their names (“kratom,” “delta-8”, and more) advertised on the windows of mini marts or smoke shops. These various substances are often called “gas station drugs” due to their synonymous appearance in many gas stations across the US today.
Gas station drugs are often labeled as herbal products, dietary supplements, or mood enhancers, but they do anything but. In many ways, they can become addictive or harmful, especially when combined with other substances. Yet they’re in bright packages and come with enticing brand names. And they’re directed largely at teenage and young adult markets, shares The Johns Hopkins University. This combined with the fact that they’re sold in a common retail establishment encourages the perception that they’re safe substances to use.
Yet the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other leading health agencies are taking notice and extending warnings about various gas station drugs. Because these drugs are unregulated, they don’t have to abide by the strict standards of drugs you’d find in a pharmacy. This makes them even more risky, because they may include dangerous, undisclosed ingredients, as well as make misleading claims.
Gas Station Drugs You May Encounter
You may find gas station drugs sold in a variety of familiar storefronts, including gas stations, mini marts, convenience stores, smoke shops, vape shops, and on the internet. To prevent unwanted exposure to these dangerous substances, it’s important to know which ones you may encounter, such as:
Kratom
Common in smoke or vape shops, as well as vitamin stores, kratom is a gas station drug used to self-treat pain, diarrhea, anxiety, depression, and opioid addiction withdrawal. It’s naturally derived from a tree in Southeast Asia called Mitragyna Speciosa. In lower doses, kratom acts as a stimulant, and in higher doses, a sedative.
It’s estimated that 1.7 million people in the US used kratom in 2021, shares the Memphis Area Prevention Coalition. However, kratom has no accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse, even addiction. Many states have outright banned kratom, including here in Vermont.
Gas Station Heroin (Tianeptine)
Often known as “gas station heroin,” tianeptine is a gas station drug that promises to increase your cognitive abilities and improve your mood. It’s sold in gas stations and convenience stores under names like ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus, and more. When used, gas station heroin may bind to the same receptors in the brain as drugs like heroin or fentanyl, causing euphoria and addictive effects similar to opioids, shares the Memphis Area Prevention Coalition. Taken over time, it increases your risks of dependency, addiction, and withdrawal.
Phenibut
A synthetic depressant, phenibut is a gas station drug marketed to combat anxiety and improve your cognitive abilities. Originally created in Russia, phenibut can also produce feelings of euphoria when used recreationally. However, it can also generate serious side effects, including:
- Psychosis
- Respiratory depression
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Irregular heartbeat
- Coma
Over time, like other gas station drugs, phenibut can lead to dependence and addiction, shares the University of Michigan. As a result, you can experience phenibut withdrawal, making the drug harder to quit.
Delta-8 THC
Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (or delta-8 THC) is a naturally occurring psychoactive cannabinoid. It only occurs in very small amounts in the cannabis plant, so delta-8 gas station drugs are typically synthetically made with much higher concentrations than traditional marijuana. Often taking the form of gummies, vape, candies, cookies, or tinctures, delta-8 may be used for relaxation, pain relief, or euphoric effects, shares the Memphis Area Prevention Coalition. With that said, delta-8 use poses serious health risks and adverse effects. These may include hallucinations, tremors, anxiety, loss of consciousness, and poisoning.
Get Help for Gas Station Drug Abuse in Vermont
Gas station drugs are some of the many substances that can lead to addiction. If you’re struggling with substance abuse, it’s important to seek professional help. At Sana at Stowe in Stowe, VT, we provide a full continuum of care to heal your addiction and empower your long-term sobriety. Using evidence-based treatment, holistic therapies, and trauma-informed care, we can help you break free from the grip of gas station drugs. Call us today to learn more about our drug addiction treatment programs.
