Bladen County Substance Misuse Task Force members agreed community members and parents need to be warned about “Gas Station Dope.” Pastor Quentin Boyce with Southeastern Carolina Crossroads was the first to mention the issues with “legal drugs” that are highly addictive and easily obtainable.
The drugs Boyce mentioned are Za Za (Gas Station Dope, Gas Station Herion, ZaZa Reds or Tiana Red) and Kratom.
“We need to give parents some tips,” Boyce said, “because Za Za and Kratom are being abused, and parents may not be aware of the harmful risks involved in taking them. These drugs are available at gas stations, smoke, or vape shops.”
Zack Davis, a nurse at Cape Fear Valley – Bladen Hospital, explained the effects on the users of these drugs are harmful, and the drugs are untraceable on a routine toxicology report.
Dr. Teresa Duncan, Bladen County Health and Human Services Director disclosed the drugs were being sold to minors, although the packages of each product state, “Not for Sale to Minors.”
Captain Daniel Clark with the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office said, “Za Za is known as the gas station dope; it’s perfectly legal.” Clark warns that the term Za Za is also used for a strong strain of marijuana.
The active drug in Za Za capsules is Tianeptine, an antidepressant that is approved for use in several European countries but not approved in the United States, according to William Rushton, M.D., with a Medical Toxicology program in Alabama. Rushton reports Za Za has become a drug of abuse due to its strong affinity at the mu-opioid receptors — the same cell sites targeted by opioids such as oxycontin.
According to the National Institute for Drug Abuse, “Kratom” commonly refers to an herbal substance that can produce opioid- and stimulant-like effects. Kratom and kratom-based products are currently legal and accessible in many areas.
After the meeting, the BladenOnline team purchased some of the mentioned drugs at a local vape shop. While handing over the Za Za and Kratom, the store clerk warned our representative, saying, “Be careful with that stuff; it’s highly addictive. One customer we had purchasing it just checked himself into rehab.”
On the Za Za bottle, it states, “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has neither reviewed these statements nor approved this product for consumption.”
The FDA did release a warning to consumers about “Kratom” in April of 2022, stating, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to use Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, a plant which grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. FDA is concerned that kratom, which affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine, appears to have properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse, and dependence.”
During the task force meeting, Dr. Rebecca Hester with the Bladenboro Medicine Shoppe asked if warnings about these damaging drugs were covered in the local schools. Dr. Duncan responded that although sixth-grade students complete the Life Skills program, information about these issues is not covered in the program’s literature.
Parents, please discuss these “legal supplements” and their harmful effects with your children. Addictive, dangerous drugs are not only distributed by shady street drug dealers and prescribed with caution by doctors and pharmacists; they are offered for sale in local stores with friendly cashiers. Be aware!
Tips for parents and community members to know about Za Za Capsules and Kratom are listed below:
- Za Za capsules and Kratom may be found in local gas stations and stores with dietary supplement displays.
- Although Za Za capsules and Kratom are legal, they may not be safe.
- Reports say Za Za capsules and Kratom are highly addictive.
- Some claim the supplements help with chronic pain, promote alertness, stimulate brain function, and even fight addiction. However, medical professionals are warning the public not to use these drugs. The FDA has not approved them, and there is no proof of these drugs’ supportive claims.
- The drugs do not show up on routine drug screenings.
- Misuses of these substances look similar to opioid misuse; once addicted, users will spend a lot of time trying to find more drugs.
- According to the United States Department of Justice, effects on the body from misusing these drugs include nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, tachycardia, and vomiting. Some people have also experienced anorexia, insomnia, hepatotoxicity, seizure, and hallucinations.
Help for addiction and substance misuse is available in Bladen County. Rev. Kincy Barrow, Director of Southeastern Carolina Crossroads, noted Celebrate Recovery is offered at Elizabethtown Baptist Church every Thursday from 6 pm until 8 pm. Anyone with habits or hangups wanting to make positive changes can attend every week. Dinner is served, and small groups gather to help break negative cycles and address the need to end each addiction, habit, or hangup. The church is located at 1800 W. Broad Street in Elizabethtown.
Mark your calendars for the next task force meeting. Dr. Duncan said, “Sadly, most of us know someone who struggles with addiction. We need to hear the ideas to defeat addiction…” Those who struggle with addiction, their families, faith-based organizations, community members, community organizations, media, and policymakers are all invited to attend the task force meetings.
The next Bladen County Substance Misuse Task Force meeting is scheduled at the Bladen County Health Department on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 2 pm. The phone number to the Bladen County Health Department is 910-862-6900.
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