>> TONIGHT, THE NEWS 4 JAX. IS LOOKING INTO A HEALTH ALERT ABOUT A PRODUCT. SOME STATES
HAVE DUBBED GAS STATION HEROIN
AND IS LEGALLY SOLD OVER THE
COUNTER HERE IN FLORIDA.
>> YEAH, I TEAM INVESTIGATOR
SCOTT JOHNSON HAS BEEN DIGGING
DEEPER INTO THIS PRODUCT THAT
IS MARKED AS A DIETARY
SUPPLEMENT SCOTT USED DIETARY
SUPPLEMENT ENERGY THAT TYPE OF
STOP. THESE ARE A COUPLE OF
BOTTLES OF THE PILLS THAT ARE
SOLD FOR ABOUT $30. EACH IN
LOCAL STORES HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE. IT’S TECHNICALLY
LEGAL TO SELL IN FLORIDA. THE
FDA HAS NOT APPROVED IT AND
MULTIPLE STATES ARE MAKING IT
ILLEGAL BECAUSE IT’S SENDING A
LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL
AND THE FDA SAYS EVEN KILLING
PEOPLE. THE ARTICLES OF
SPARSELY TOPPED UP THE PAST
FEW YEARS OVER THIS PRODUCT
THAT’S BEEN BANNED.
>> AND ALABAMA, OHIO AND A
HANDFUL OF OTHER STATES. IT’S
BEEN NICKNAMED GAS STATION
HEROIN, BUT IT’S LEGAL IN
FLORIDA AND UNREGULATED BY THE
FDA. SOME OF THE BRAND NAMES
ARE ZAZA OR PEGASUS. THE FDA
PUT OUT THIS WARNING TYING UP
PRODUCTS LINKED TO SERIOUS
HARM OVERDOSES, DEATH.
>> TIED UP TEEN IS AN ACTUAL.
PRODUCT OR PHARMACEUTICAL
PRODUCT. THAT IS AVAILABLE BY
PRESCRIPTION IN FOREIGN
COUNTRIES. YOU CAN BUY IT IN
IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND IT’S AN
ANTIDEPRESSANT. THEIR DOCTOR,
DON SOLELY IS DIRECTOR OF THE
POISON INFORMATION CENTER IN
JACKSONVILLE.
>> SHE POINTS OUT THERE’S BEEN
SOME REGULATION OF TYING UP
TEEN IN FLORIDA TELLING ME
THAT WALL ONE BRAND PEGASUS
CAN BE SOLD HERE. ANOTHER ZAW
ZAW.
>> IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE.
HOWEVER, I FOUND BOTH ON THE
SHELF WITHOUT TOO MUCH
TROUBLE. WHEN I STOPPED BY A
LOCAL SMOKE SHOP.
>> IS THIS WORK VERY WELL THE
WORKER, THE SHOP TOLD ME, OF
COURSE, I HAVE A CUSTOMER. SHE
TAKES THIS EVERY MORNING AND
SHE THE WORKER RESPONDED. YES,
TRUST ME. ARE YOU SURPRISED BY
THAT? I WAS I WAS AT LEAST
THAT ONE PRODUCT.
>> I WAS KIND OF SURPRISED
THAT IT WAS OUT THERE
CONSIDERING THAT THE FDA HAD
SPECIFICALLY DONE A LETTER TO
THAT COMPANY. SO I WAS I WAS
KIND OF SURPRISED THAT WAS
THERE AND THE PRODUCT IS GAME.
THE COLLOQUIAL TERM GAS
STATION, HEROIN.
>> BECAUSE IT’S HISTORICALLY
BEEN FOUND. A GAS STATIONS.
WHEN I SEARCHED, CAN FIND IT
ON ANY SHELVES AT LOCAL GAS
STATIONS. BUT ONE STATION TOLD
ME THEY CARRY IT AND WE’RE
CURRENTLY OUT OF THE PRODUCT.
WHILE ANOTHER SAID THEY NEVER
HEARD OF IT BUT TOLD ME THEY
WOULD HAPPILY ORDER IT. IF I
INTENDED TO BUY IT.
>> YOU STOP TAKING VERY
QUICKLY. WITHIN A SHORT TIME
PERIOD, PATIENTS GO INTO
WITHDRAWAL AND A LOT OF THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT VISITS
ARE DUE TO WITHDRAW FROM 10
TEAM AND NOT NECESSARILY FROM
THE EXPOSURE ITSELF. LAST YEAR
IN FLORIDA, THERE WERE 25
EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS DUE TO
EXPOSURE TO TIGHTEN UP TEEN.
>> HALF OF THOSE WERE DUE TO
ABUSE OF THE PRODUCT. THE
PRODUCT IS CONSIDERED LIKE
HEROIN BECAUSE IT AFFECTS THE
SAME RECEPTORS IN THE BRAIN AS
OPIOIDS AND DOCTOR SOLIS AS
THE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS ARE
SEVERE AND HAVE SENT MANY
PEOPLE IN FLORIDA TO THE ER.
>> IF I WALKED OUT OF A
PHARMACY WITH SAY
ACETAMINOPHEN OR IBUPROFEN, I
WOULD KNOW WHAT’S IN THE PILL
AND THAT IT’S IN THE PROPER
AMOUNT. BUT WITH THIS STUFF
BECAUSE IT’S UNREGULATED, YOU
REALLY HAVE NO IDEA.
>> PART OF THE PROBLEM IS, IS
THAT YOU REALLY DON’T EVEN
KNOW WHAT’S IN THESE PRODUCTS.
SO TYING UP TEEN. YES, THAT’S
WHAT ITS LABEL. BUT WHAT DOES
IT REALLY HAVE IN IT? DOES IT
IS IT THAT SAME STRENGTH THAT
IT SAYS IT IS? THERE’S NO
REGULATION OF IT. THERE’S
NOBODY ENSURING THAT THAT’S
WHAT’S IN THAT CONTAINER. SO I
TRIED TO TRACK DOWN THE
MANUFACTURERS OF THIS STUFF
AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE.
>> PRETTY HIDDEN ON PEGASUS. I
COULDN’T FIND MUCH OF ANY
INFORMATION ON THE LABEL AND
ON IT READS DISTRIBUTION BY M
AND J DISTRIBUTION VIA RICA.
GEORGIA. ONLY THAT COMPANY
DOESN’T SEEM TO EXIST. SO
CHECK OUT THIS FROM A LETTER,
THE CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE
PUBLIC INTEREST ALONG WITH THE
STATE OF ALABAMA SENT TO THE
FDA DOWN IN THE NOTE TO THE
BOTTOM THEY WROTE THE GEORGIA
CORPORATIONS DIVISIONS
DATABASE DOES NOT LISTED
COMPANY MATCHING THE NAME AND
THEN JAY DISTRIBUTION TO AN
ADDRESS IN VIA RICA, GEORGIA
DO. WHEN I STOPPED BY A FEW
GAS STATIONS, WORKERS
UNFAMILIAR WITH THE PRODUCT
ASKED ME IF IT WAS A PRODUCT
LEGALLY SOLD. THAT AFFECTS
OPIOID RECEPTORS IN THE BRAIN.
DOCTOR. SO HE SAYS THE 2 ARE
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PRODUCTS.
CREIGHTON IS PLANT-BASED AND
SHE SAYS TIME IS A LOT MORE
ADDICTIVE AND CAN CAUSE
WITHDRAWAL A LOT EASIER.
>> I’VE REACHED OUT TO THE
MAKER OF ZAZA MULTIPLE TIMES
BY PHONE AND EMAIL. ALL UPDATE
THIS STORY. IF WE HEAR BACK IN
THE MEANTIME, I DO WANT TO
GIVE YOU THE POISON
INFORMATION CENTER NUMBER. YOU
CAN CALL IF YOU HAVE ANY
CONCERNS. THE POISON HELPLINE
IS 1, 802 TO 2, 1, 2, 2, 2,
CARTOONS.
>> SO WE’VE ALSO PUT A LOT OF
INFORMATION. THE STORY ALONG
WITH THAT NUMBER. YEAH, FORTON
IN CASE PEOPLE NEED TO CALM.
YEAH. SO I GOT A QUESTION FOR
SCOTT BECAUSE THIS JUST SEEMS
REALLY BIZARRE. SO YOU TALKED
ABOUT THE PEELS, BUT IT’S ALSO
BEING SOLD ONLINE IN A POWDER
FORM. YEAH. SO THAT’S KIND OF
REALLY PART OF A LEGAL
LOOPHOLE THEY USE.
>> MANUFACTURERS USED TO SELL
TYING-UP SCENE. SO DOCTOR TO
SOLELY SAYS IT’S MARKETED AS A
RESEARCH POWDER NOT DESIGNED
FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION, MEANING
PEOPLE CAN BUY IT OFF THE
INTERNET UNDER THE PRETENSE.