Tianeptine, which is marketed as an antidepressant, has been sold illegally over the counter in Tennessee since July 1. The new law applies to all possible substances designed to replicate tianeptine. Senator Mike Bell of District 9(R) supported the 1997 Senate bill that made drugs illegal. The new law places the drug Zaza under the Dangerous Drugs Act as an illegal narcotic on List 2. Any person caught in the act of illegal sale or possession of Za Za is liable to a Class A fine. This results in 11 months, 29 days of jail time and/or fines of up to $2,500. The Madisonville Police Department does just that by checking all convenience stores within the city limits. Five of the 13 shops inspected still had Za Za on their shelves and more than 50 bottles were confiscated. Holtzclaw said it was a step in the right direction to get Zaza off the road. “A lot of people use it to try to get rid of heroin or other hard drugs, other hard opioids,” Holtzclaw said.
“But after coming out of it, they`re just trying to get out of the Zaza, but they`re retreating again.” Holtzclaw added that some of the symptoms are “sleepiness, drowsiness, personality change.” Page Holtzclaw runs True Purpose Restoration Place, a rehabilitation center for those dealing with addiction. “These are the same characteristics as someone who takes heroin or a high-level opioid,” she said. It is often sold under brand names such as “Zaza Red” or “Tiana” and has had a negative impact on the lives of many members of our community, according to a woman who works with people with addictions. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Madisonville Police Department recently seized more than 50 bottles of tianeptine from the shelves of local convenience stores after banning the sale of the substance in Tennessee. “Other states have provided for it where it`s only available by prescription, and that`s what we`ve done,” he said. She added that she had seen the ruin of the drug firsthand. “Removing it from shelves in all the surrounding counties is better for a lot of people because it doesn`t help anyone. It just holds people back.
We know that all it does is keep addicts in a cycle, and it needs to be eliminated.