On the latest episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver turned his attention to the growing phenomenon of gas station drugs—unregulated products sold at convenience store counters across the United States. These brightly colored bottles and pills promise increased energy, pain relief, or enhanced sexual performance, but often contain dangerous substances like tianeptine, commonly referred to as 'gas station heroin.'
The Regulatory 'Wild West'
'While you might assume they're just snake oil, that's not necessarily true,' Oliver said. 'Some of these drugs can be actively dangerous, presenting risks of addiction just like controlled substances.' He highlighted Zaza, a red-bottled synthetic product that mimics opioid effects and is sold as a legal alternative to narcotics. After showing a clip of a former addict who consumed 250 Zaza bottles a month, Oliver remarked: 'There is so much that is alarming here. From the notion of a gas station having an opiate aisle, to the fact that that is too many tiny bottles of anything to go through in a month.'
Oliver explained that many companies evade regulation through creative labeling, using phrases like 'For research purposes only' or 'Not for human consumption.' The most common tactic is labeling products as 'dietary supplements,' a loophole created by a 1994 law that allows supplements to hit shelves without FDA testing or approval. 'All of which means that the FDA and other regulators are playing an impossible game of catch-up,' Oliver said.
Sexual Enhancement and Kratom Dangers
Oliver then focused on sexual enhancement drugs with names like Black Panther, Blue Panther, Boner Bears, and Super Bull. He noted that these pills demonstrate how easily gas station drugs can be manufactured. 'You don't want a pill's ingredients to essentially be dealer's choice,' he joked, adding that some pills have been found to contain Viagra ingredients, while others contained printer ink or ground-up drywall. The FDA is 'powerless' to stop it, he said.
Kratom, marketed as an energy booster or mood lifter, also came under scrutiny. Oliver pointed out that because many states lack labeling requirements, consumers often take far more than the recommended dose. After playing a clip of Joe Rogan bragging about taking eight kratom pills at once—four times the recommended dose—Oliver responded: 'Joe, what the fuck are you doing?' He warned that kratom can be addictive, as its components interact with the brain like opioids. Some manufacturers synthesize 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a compound seven times stronger than morphine. A 2024 report linked kratom and 7-OH to at least 4,100 deaths over three years, likely an undercount.
Tianeptine: 'Gas Station Heroin'
The final drug Oliver discussed was tianeptine, sold under names like Zaza, Tianna, and Neptune's Fix. Although prescribed as an antidepressant in Europe, the FDA has not approved it for US use. Oliver joked that 'gas station heroin' sounds like a Lana Del Rey song title, but the drug has been linked to hundreds of overdoses and deaths, leading Alabama to ban it. 'It is hard to believe that something so immediately dangerous could be sold at the gas station next to the lottery tickets,' he said. 'It would be like finding out that PetSmart sells hand grenades next to the hamsters.'
Oliver noted that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the FDA have discussed these dangers, though he expressed concern about RFK's potential approaches. He concluded by emphasizing the need for a plan to help those who rely on these drugs, whether for pain relief or addiction. 'If we learned one thing from the opioid crisis, it's that every family fortune is built on the blood of strangers,' he said, displaying a Sackler family plaque. 'But if we learned two things, it's that when you take something very strong off the market, not everyone can just quit cold turkey.'
