SMART MOVE PENNSY –
June 15, 2026 – “There are hundreds of documented cases from users becoming addicted, overdosing and dying, with one fatality a couple months ago and another fatality in Bucks County,” the bill’s sponsor, Andrew Kuzma (R-Washington) warned. Tianeptine, which is legally prescribed as an antidepressant is federally unregulated in America and sold in gas stations and head shops across the commonwealth.
It produces opioid-like effects in high doses, and can also cause addiction, seizures, psychosis and loss of consciousness, according to the Partnership to End Addiction.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reports of adverse effects from the substance are on the rise. Annual poison control center cases involving Tianeptine rose from four nationally in 2013 to around 350 in 2024.
Kuzma’s bill would make its sale, manufacture or distribution a felony in Pennsylvania, punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $15,000.
