Councilmen on Tuesday unanimously voted to hold public hearings about banning the over-the-counter substance Za-Za.
Za-Za, which contains the chemical tianeptine, also is sold under the names Nootropic, Za-Za Red, TD Red or Tianaa, and is more colloquially referred to as “gas station heroin.”
Columbus citizen Joe Murphy asked the council Tuesday night to ban the substance, which he characterized as a “very highly addictive drug.”
There are several bills before the legislature now that would ban sale of Za-Za but if passed will not go into effect until July 1.
“I’m optimistic that as of July 1, selling Za-Zas will be unlawful under state law,” he said. “My objective is to save as many lives as I can between now and July 1.”
He called on the community to come together and “apply some common sense.”
“We all need your undivided attention,” Murphy told the council. “… In Alabama it’s a felony. But right now we need to do something. Please remove these Za-Zas off the shelves of the city of Columbus.”
Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins, who attended Tuesday’s meeting alongside Murphy, said Za-Za is a problem. He is especially concerned with the lack of regulation on sales.
“We know that it’s not regulated by the (Food and Drug Administration), and it has no quality control,” he said. “There is no age restriction on the sale, meaning a 15-year-old child could go in a store and buy this stuff, which is scary to us.”
The sheriff’s office recently arrested a man for allegedly burglarizing the Country Mart on Highway 182 on two occasions to steal the substance. Hawkins and Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said there had been at least two fatal overdoses caused by Za-Za locally.
It is sold at most convenience stores and smoke shops, they said.
Taking large amounts of Za-Za mimics opioid toxicity and can shut down the respiratory system and cause death, Hawkins said.
“It’s concerning for us, and it should be concerning to the council,” he said. “I wish we could take it off the shelf yesterday.”
Hawkins said if the legislature fails to ban the substance, he intends to ask the board of supervisors to ban Za-Za countywide.
Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco moved to pass a resolution asking the city’s lobbyist firm, Worth Thomas Consultants, to ask the legislature to make any ban of Za-Za effective immediately, rather than effective July 1. The motion was seconded by Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard and passed unanimously.
Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene said he wanted to move on banning Za-Za in Columbus, effective as soon as possible.
“I think we should do our part now,” he said.
City Attorney Jeff Turnage said the city needs to hold a public hearing before taking any action to make sure merchants selling Za-Za get due process.
“Some people say it’s a dietary supplement,” Turnage said. “We at least ought to give them notice and have an opportunity for a hearing before the product is banned. I’m nervous about an immediate ban without notice and opportunity for a hearing.”
Greene moved to hold a public hearing on a Za-Za ban at the council’s Feb. 21 meeting, with a second by Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart. The motion passed unanimously.
Tiny houses tabled
The council unanimously tabled a request by the Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition to use about two acres in East Columbus to build tiny houses.
The organization wants to build a village of tiny homes on a city-owned parcel between Fire Station 4 and the Columbus-Lowndes Humane Society on Airline Road. It would allow people who are homeless to become progressively more independent and get back on their feet.
Sandra DePriest, who sits on the board of the Homeless Coalition, said the homes would have a bathroom, a bed, a kitchen with a stove top and an area to eat. Three styles of home would be built: one for either one or two people; a second variation for up to four people; and a home designed to be handicapped-accessible.
She said the organization had funding for “six or seven of 10” lined up already, but it needs the land.
“We are not in a position to pay (for land),” DePriest told the council.
Vice Mayor Joseph Mickens said he wants to see a similar setup in another community before he makes up his mind.
“I would like to table this to give us time to look at what’s going on and talk to the community so we can get a feel for what’s going on,” Mickens said.
He moved to table, with a second from Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones.
DePriest said she would find a suitable location for the council to visit.
“There may be some homes in Fayette or Huntsville, Alabama, in a community-type setting,” she said. “The more comparable community is going to be Springfield, Missouri, or Austin, Texas.”
Greene said he “100 percent supported” the idea but also wants more information before proceeding with a land grant.
“It’s very much needed,” he said. “I’m going to vote to table just to give us more time to make sure because these are permanent structures.”
The request was tabled unanimously.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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