State bill would ban "Gas Station Heroin"

State bill would ban "Gas Station Heroin"

New details - we're learning about the serious problems some pills commonly sold at gas stations are creating in north alabama.

This comes as state senators are set to consider a bill that would make pills referred to as "gas station herron" illegal in alabama.

Waay31s sierra phillips looks into the effects of the drugs in jackson county.

Summers- "it has a worse affect than herion and methodone."

Right now the new outlook detox center at highland's medical is seeing its fair share of patients abusing tianeptine.

Gonce- "people are lead to believe its safe when i know its not."

Both bj summers and rachel gonce from highland's medical explained that patients will sometimes turn to tianeptine as a way to stop taking opiods -- but summers- "the detox coming off of it is way worse."

And the drug is hard to catch.

Jackson county judge don word told me the drug frequently stays off the radar of drug tests and the effects are serious.

Word- "it literally drives them to the point of suicide a lot of times i know we've had a couple ladies get to that point.

Right to the edge of that point."

Word is the judge for the family wellness program which works to reunite families after parents loose custody.

He says tianeptine is often a big problem for the parents he's trying to help and its frustrating to see it on the shelves of gas stations.

Word- "you can go to many gas stations in jackson county and buy it right now and you shouldn't be able to."

Ll- word says he's in support of a bill headed to the state senate right now that would make the possesion of the drug illegal.

Reporting in jackson county sierra phillips waay31 news.

The pills are not f-d-a approved.

The bill is set to have its first test