SUMMARY
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warnings about a potentially addictive dietary supplement that’s widely available in the U.S. "Neptune’s Fix" is often sold as a supplement and features an ingredient called tianeptine, popularly known as "gas-station heroin." Dietary supplements (i.e. vitamins, minerals, herbs, drugs, etc.) are added to a person's diet and are different from conventional food, according to the FDA.
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Key terms
antidepressant — a prescription medicine used to treat depression
withdrawal — physical and mental symptoms that occur after stopping use of an addictive substance
WARM UP QUESTIONS
- Who is the FDA telling people not to buy Neptune's Fix from?
- What is tianeptine? What are the risks of the drug, according to the FDA?
- When did tianeptine start rising in popularity in the U.S.?
- Why can tianeptine be sold in the U.S. even though it hasn't been approved by the FDA?
- How have doctors described the dangers of tianeptine?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- Why do you think the FDA is issuing a warning rather than banning the drug in question?
- How do you think officials should try to manage drugs sold over the counter as "supplements"?
Media literacy: Where can you go to find out resources for people facing addiction?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to find out more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do: Watch this Student Reporting Labs video, Sisters band together to overcome trauma of mom’s drug addiction, and answer the following question: Why do people connect over trauma?
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