ARAB, Alabama — On March 15, 2021, the Alabama Department of Public Health announced the drug Tianeptine is now classified as a Schedule II controlled substance in Alabama.
Tianeptine is a highly addictive drug often marketed as a dietary supplement. It’s commonly sold as "Tiana," "ZAZA Red," and "Tiana Red."
Although stores in Alabama are now required to stop selling these products, they still remain on the shelves at several gas stations in Marshall County.
Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said, "We've gotten numerous complaints from parents and grandparents about their kids, teenage kids buying these and accidentally overdosing on these pills."
Sims says they are aware of many stores in the county that sell Tianeptine products and want people to report it if they see them for sale.
Drug rehabilitation centers in Arab say getting products with Tianeptine off store shelves is a victory; however, they say another, similar drug called PHRENZE Red is popping up and is just as dangerous.
One Holly Pond man, Michael Dean, is recovering from Phrenze’s. He says this is an epidemic.
"Just because they take one off, they are putting another one right back on," said Dean.
Dean says he has struggled with addiction for years and knows first hand what Phrenze’s are doing to people.
"On Saturday morning, I tried the PHRENZE Reds, and I woke up four days later in the hospital," said Dean.
Unlike Tianeptine, PHRENZE Red has not yet been classified as a controlled substance in Alabama. Bottles of these pills are being sold at gas stations for just $30.
Dean says that’s what makes these pills so dangerous. They are affordable and easy to get for both adults and teens.
Because Phrenze's are so new, the sheriff's office says they are just now beginning to test for them.
"They came out right after this order came out about the ZAZAs becoming controlled," said Sims. "We'll be looking at those also, and we'll be getting some from, if anybody sells them, and we'll send them to the lab to be tested to see if any of the other substances that are controlled are in them."
Dean says Phrenze's are even more deadly than Tianeptine.
"I found out while I was in the hospital there were eight other people in the hospital with me for the same thing, and five died," said Dean.
Now that he's recovering and out of the hospital, Dean says he's starting to feel more like himself, but he wants people to understand this drug is dangerous
"Do not do it. It is not worth it," said Dean.
WATCH: Recovering patient describes experience using Phrenze Red