CBS News Reports on NJ Department of Health Tianeptine Health Alert

The emergence of tianeptine, a prescription drug used for depression but not approved for use in the U.S. and labeled as “potentially dangerous” due to its association with addiction and fatal overdoses, raised alarms in New Jersey. The New Jersey Poison Control Center alerted state health officials to a series of poisonings linked to tianeptine products, specifically a product labeled Neptune’s Fix. More than half of the affected individuals suffered seizures, with some requiring hospitalization, while others presented with severe symptoms like hallucinations and vomiting. The absence of Food and Drug Administration regulations for tianeptine products and the product’s availability at gas stations posed a significant risk to the well-being of consumers. When the NJ Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) team first learned about the substance, the NJ Public Health Analyst (PHA) contacted the NJ Drug Intelligence Officer (DIO) to see if he had any intelligence or expertise on tianeptine from a public safety perspective. To urgently address this issue, the PHA crafted a tianeptine health alert, disseminated by the Health Alert Network, a communication channel for distributing crucial health-related messages statewide. The alert caught the attention of a CBS News reporter, who shared the alert on national news, elevating the issue to national attention and increasing awareness about the dangers posed by this substance. As a result of the NJ ORS team’s efforts, public awareness of tianeptine’s risks and potential health hazards increased significantly.