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What's In Those Gas Station Drugs?
What's In Those Gas Station Drugs?
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0:00
Whether you prefer Wawa, 7-Eleven, Buc-ee’s, Chevron, Townpump,
0:04
or Casey’s, gas stations have a fix for a lot of your problems.
0:08
Hungry? Grab a snack.
0:09
Thirsty?
0:09
Pick from the 10 slightly different options of water.
0:13
Dragging on a road trip?
0:14
How about an energy drink to keep you going?
0:16
But between the Chex Mix and the bottled cold brew,
0:19
you can also find a different kind of fix: the so-called “gas station drugs.”
0:24
You may have heard of “spice” or “bath salts,” which were some of the early versions.
0:28
Generally, these compounds mimic the effects of other drugs…
0:31
Including how deadly they can be.
0:34
But in their early days, they’re available because they haven’t
0:36
reached the level of popularity, or documented danger, to be regulated yet.
0:41
Bath salts and spice have now achieved that notoriety,
0:44
but in their wake you can find products with names like Neptune’s Fix or X-rated Honey.
0:50
Fun names aside, these can contain some pretty strong active ingredients.
0:54
So let’s talk about what exactly is in some of those gas station drugs.
0:59
[♪ INTRO]
1:02
The first drug on our list might be new to your gas station, but it has a long history of use.
1:07
Kratom comes from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree.
1:10
People in that part of the world have used it for centuries, to help boost energy,
1:14
enjoy at social gatherings, or for medicinal or religious purposes.
1:18
It’s still popular in Southeast Asia, and it’s booming in popularity in the United States,
1:22
with more than 1.7 million reported US users in 2021.
1:26
Those users smoke it, steep it, swallow it in capsules,
1:29
or drink it as a liquid extract from the plant.
1:32
So you could see it in quite a few forms at the store.
1:35
And kratom doesn’t just come in many formats, it also comes with a wide range of effects.
1:40
At lower doses, people say it’s more of a stimulant.
1:44
But at higher doses, it flips, acting more like a sedative pain reliever, similar to an opioid.
1:49
Some people even use it as an alternative to stronger opioids to get through withdrawal.
1:52
It has those effects thanks to compounds in the leaves that bind to mu-opioid receptors.
1:58
…Which are the same receptors targeted by morphine or heroin,
2:01
so it makes sense that kratom can produce similar effects.
2:04
The difference is that kratom’s compounds don’t bind quite as well,
2:08
which is why the effects tend to be weaker.
2:10
People often take kratom as an alternative to substances we already know are risky.
2:15
And compared to heroin or morphine, kratom does appear to come with a lower mortality risk.
2:20
But “lower risk” is not the same thing as “safe”.
2:24
Potential side effects range from relatively mild, like nausea and dizziness,
2:28
to much more severe complications like liver toxicity, slowed breathing, or seizures.
2:33
People have died after taking kratom.
2:35
But most of those deaths involved other substances as well,
2:39
making it difficult to tease apart how much the kratom itself contributed.
2:42
All in all, kratom acts a lot like a weaker opioid.
2:45
But its compounds also interact with serotonin receptors, dopamine receptors,
2:50
and other targets in the brain.
2:52
That multi-tasking helps explain why kratom can feel stimulating,
2:55
sedating, euphoric or focusing depending on the circumstances.
2:59
With all of those targets, kratom may have legitimate medical potential.
3:03
And researchers are looking into that possibility.
3:05
But many countries aren’t waiting for the answers.
3:08
Kratom is illegal in at least 33 countries and regulated in some way in at least 11 more.
3:13
Meanwhile, in the US, it’s for sale next to snacks and supplements.
3:17
Which may make you think again before choosing it as a casual
3:20
gas station pick-me-up to grab with your trail mix.
3:22
And it’s not the only opioid-like substance hiding there.
3:25
This next gas station drug has a nickname that
3:28
does not inspire confidence as an unregulated substance.
3:30
Officially, it’s called tianeptine.
3:32
Unofficially, people call it “gas station heroin”.
3:35
It wasn’t intended to be something that people buy on a whim and become addicted to.
3:40
Tianeptine was originally developed in Europe as an antidepressant,
3:43
and in some countries it’s still prescribed and used that way today.
3:47
Chemically, tianeptine looks similar to some tricyclic antidepressants,
3:51
which helps explain why it was developed for that purpose initially.
3:54
But instead of targeting serotonin and noradrenaline like most tricyclics,
3:58
tianeptine acts on glutamate to reduce depressive symptoms.
4:01
…And, to a lesser extent, it also activates mu-opioid receptors.
4:05
You probably saw that coming when you heard its nickname.
4:08
But, yeah, this new kind of antidepressant can also act like an opioid.
4:12
At therapeutic doses, it can help treat depression.
4:15
But when you have free access to self-prescribe however much of this gas station drug feels good,
4:20
some people take up to 120 times those doses to get opioid-like effects.
4:26
Unsurprisingly, acting on the opioid receptors comes with opioid-like risks,
4:30
like dependence, tolerance, withdrawal, and overdose.
4:33
And tianeptine doesn’t stick around in your body for very
4:36
long, which can cause withdrawal symptoms to kick in fast and hard.
4:40
So while prescription tianeptine can act as an antidepressant, gas-station
4:44
tianeptine use often results in opioid-like effects, with opioid-like risks to match.
4:50
But the people who make it have a more positive outlook on that story.
4:53
They market it as a potential stopgap to ease opioid withdrawal.
4:57
Like, if you’re addicted to heroin, try this instead!
5:00
Setting a really high bar, making a drug that is… slightly better for you than heroin.
5:04
And there is some data to support that claim.
5:07
One study conducted in rodents found that tianeptine was less
5:10
likely than heroin to cause dependence.
5:12
But case reports and anecdotes paint a much less reassuring picture.
5:16
Which might be why some countries keep it a controlled prescription antidepressant.
5:20
In the US, it has never been approved for medical use and sits in a regulatory grey zone.
5:25
It’s not regulated at a federal level, but it is illegal in 13 states.
5:30
So it might not be long before this gas station drug goes the way of bath salts.
5:35
Before we get to the next gas station drug, it’s time for a quick ad break.
5:38
I’m assuming it’ll be a bit of a tone shift.
5:42
Thanks to our Presidents of Science, binorthedrunkdwarf,
5:46
Charlie Stanley, and Harry Plumley for supporting this SciShow video!
5:51
Last year, SciShow made hundreds of videos about everything from the
5:55
weird ways people have tried to live forever to the science of urinals.
6:00
Each of these videos is written, fact checked, hosted, and animated by real people.
6:05
And we couldn’t have done that without the
6:07
help of our incredible Presidents of Science, who support us on patreon.
6:12
We’re proud to be a nonprofit supported
6:14
by a community that believes good information is worth it.
6:18
And we’re thankful to have you in that community, too.
6:21
Every time you watch a SciShow video, comment, share it with your friends,
6:25
or support us on patreon, you help make SciShow what it is.
6:30
You can learn more at patreon.com/SciShow.
6:35
Despite how it may seem from the first two examples,
6:38
not every gas station drug wants to cosplay as an opioid.
6:41
Case in point: phenibut.
6:42
Phenibut was initially developed in the Soviet Union to help cosmonauts stay calm,
6:47
cool, and collected in stressful situations.
6:49
It has since been used for things like anxiety,
6:51
alcohol withdrawal, PTSD, and some motor control issues like restless leg syndrome.
6:56
Unlike the previous opioid-like drugs, this gas station drug acts like GABA, an inhibitory
7:02
neurotransmitter that basically tells your brain and body to slow things down a bit.
7:07
By binding to the same receptors as GABA,
7:09
phenibut can elicit a wide range of effects, from reduced anxiety to euphoria.
7:14
It also blocks other receptors linked to anxiety, giving an extra layer of chill.
7:18
But a 2019 review suggests that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
7:23
That paper summarized that too much phenibut can cause a whole host of
7:27
symptoms including sedation, agitation, combativeness, delirium, and psychosis.
7:32
It’s like - kinda - really like all over the spectrum there.
7:35
Plus, phenibut can cause withdrawal symptoms similar to benzodiazepines,
7:39
since they target some of the same pathways.
7:41
So you could end up with agitation, tremors,
7:44
heart palpitations, decreased appetite, insomnia, and increased anxiety.
7:49
Basically, the opposite effects from what many people are taking it for in the first place!
7:53
Phenibut may promise a calming fix, but can easily turn stressful, or worse.
7:57
Which is why in Russia, you still need a prescription for it.
8:00
And in the US, the FDA is cracking down on companies that sell it as a dietary supplement.
8:05
It’s hard to know how common use is, though poison control
8:08
centers in the US receive hundreds of calls related to phenibut every year.
8:12
But that’s nothing compared to the number of calls they get about this next gas station drug.
8:16
Now we get to talk about a familiar friend…but with a twist: synthetic THC.
8:21
For a quick botany refresher, THC comes from marijuana and hemp.
8:25
Legally, they are differentiated by their THC content.
8:28
Anything at or below 0.3% THC by weight is considered hemp.
8:34
This is important because hemp is legal to grow, sell, and make products from in the US,
8:40
while marijuana is not, at least at the federal level, and at least as we film this video.
8:45
You can make lots of things from hemp, including CBD.
8:49
And that’s where things get interesting.
8:50
It is possible to chemically convert this hemp-derived CBD into delta-8 and delta-10 THC.
8:59
These are chemical cousins to the delta-9 THC found in marijuana,
9:05
the one most people think of when they think of getting high.
9:07
Because these synthetic forms of THC come from hemp CBD, they exist in a legal grey area.
9:15
They aren’t technically the illegal delta-9 form…but they are pretty close.
9:20
People use these synthetic THCs for many of the same reasons they use marijuana:
9:25
to get high, reduce stress, spark appetite, or manage nausea, pain, or inflammation.
9:30
Like natural THC, synthetic versions of THCs also bind to your cannabinoid receptors in your brain.
9:36
And where those receptors are in the brain matters for what kind of effects you might feel.
9:42
Hitting the memory center can impair your short-term memory.
9:45
And binding in your emotional center can lead to panic and paranoia.
9:48
These synthetic THCs have been described as being a bit weaker than delta-9,
9:53
so both the desired effects and inadvertent side effects can be milder.
9:57
But milder doesn’t mean there are no side effects.
10:00
Studies on delta 8 and delta 10 THC are sparse,
10:04
but we do know that they can cause the same types of side effects as delta-9,
10:08
including changes in heart rate, low blood pressure, lethargy, and impaired coordination.
10:13
And that’s enough to raise a red flag for some consenting adults.
10:16
But there’s also concern for children accidentally taking these drugs.
10:20
After all, if you like THC gummies because they are sweet and tasty,
10:24
six year olds are also going to like them for that very reason.
10:28
And poison control center calls back that up.
10:30
Now think about the fact that the conversion process from CBD to
10:34
synthetic THC is sometimes referred to as “kitchen chemistry” because,
10:39
well, just about anyone can do it with some fairly common chemicals.
10:43
The lack of regulations in making these products
10:45
mean that some nasty stuff might be in there without anyone’s knowledge.
10:49
So even if you’re a big fan of THC and know how it works in your body,
10:54
there’s no real way of knowing what else is in these products.
10:58
…unless you were the “chemist.”
11:00
And the number of people in that synthetic THC fan club is tricky to pin down.
11:05
But we know that global internet searches for delta-8 THC went up
11:09
by 257% in 2020 compared to 2019, and by 705% in just eight months of 2021.
11:19
This doesn’t necessarily mean usage exploded, but curiosity certainly did.
11:22
And if you’re curious to try this next drug,
11:25
well, please just listen to our explanation of the science first.
11:28
The last gas station drug on our list is really….
11:30
getting a rise out of some people.
11:32
Honey packets, sometimes sold as X-Rated Honey for Men,
11:36
contain tadalafil, the active ingredient in Cialis.
11:40
In case the innuendo didn’t give it away, this is a drug for erectile dysfunction.
11:44
Tadalafil works by inhibiting an enzyme called PDE5, which
11:48
breaks down a molecule that helps dilate blood vessels in the penis.
11:52
So when you block PDE5, more of that molecule is around,
11:56
more blood flows in, and…well, you know what happens next.
11:58
But tadalafil doesn’t just go to your penis.
12:01
It affects all blood vessels, including the ones in your lungs, prostate, and bladder,
12:06
making it a helpful prescription to treat other conditions related to blood
12:09
vessel function, like pulmonary arterial hypertension or certain prostate issues.
12:14
With all that power over your blood vessels, side effects are inevitable.
12:17
You could end up with headaches, indigestion,
12:19
back pain, hearing loss, or a whole list of other symptoms.
12:22
One unlucky guy learned firsthand that messing with blood flow can
12:25
have unexpected consequences for your vision.
12:28
He showed up at the doctor complaining of blurry
12:30
vision in one eye after taking some X Rated Honey for Men.
12:33
The seemingly innocent little honey packets swole up his retina!
12:36
Fortunately for him, his eye went back to normal after a month without honey.
12:40
But the big danger is how it mixes with other stuff.
12:43
For example, nitrates are often taken for certain heart conditions.
12:47
And when you take tadalafil and nitrates at the same time,
12:50
your blood pressure can drop to life-threatening levels.
12:53
And yes, tadalafil can cause prolonged erections that can permanently damage tissue.
12:58
Funny in movies, not so funny if it happens to you.
13:01
Like the other drugs in this video, tadalafil isn’t inherently bad.
13:04
It’s the unregulated, casual availability that makes it dangerous.
13:08
Many gas station drugs contain real, pharmacologically active ingredients,
13:13
like those that might benefit from a prescription and regular check-ins with a doctor.
13:17
But without regulation, dosing guidance, or quality control,
13:20
these products can pose serious risks.
13:22
So if you’re feeling like a daredevil at the gas station,
13:25
maybe stick to something a bit less extreme.
13:28
…Like a new flavor of Takis.
13:30
[♪ OUTRO]
What's In Those Gas Station Drugs? - Video học tiếng Anh
