L.A. takes aim at phenibut, an unregulated 'gas station drug' that is growing in popularity

Key Points:

• The Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to draft regulations on phenibut, a central nervous system depressant formerly used by Soviet cosmonauts, due to its abuse and easy availability in convenience stores without age restrictions.
• Proposed regulations include banning sales to individuals under 21, prohibiting sales near schools and daycare centers, and requiring warning labels about its risks; the full council must approve the ordinance language before it becomes law.
• Phenibut, not federally regulated or legally sold as a dietary supplement, is often marketed to teenagers as a “smart drug” or “brain booster,” despite risks of addiction, seizures, hallucinations, psychosis, and coma.
• The drug is prescription-only in Russia for treating anxiety and other conditions but has been banned in several countries and Utah due to safety concerns, with studies indicating potential for addiction and severe health effects.
• This move follows previous concerns in L.A. over unregulated substances like kratom and its synthetic alkaloid 7-OH, which were linked to multiple overdose deaths in the region.