Copy or download this sample letter to send to your state or federal lawmakers.
[Your Name] [Your Email / City / State] [Date] To the Honorable Members of [State Legislature or U.S. Congress]: As a concerned [parent / pharmacist / healthcare professional / citizen], I am writing to request immediate legislative and regulatory action to ban the sale of phenibut (β-phenyl-γ-aminobutyric acid) — a synthetic depressant marketed online and in gas stations as a dietary supplement or “mood enhancer.” Phenibut is neither natural nor safe. It is a central nervous system depressant with serious risks of dependence, withdrawal, and overdose. ⸻ What Phenibut Is Phenibut was developed in the former Soviet Union as a prescription tranquilizer and nootropic. It is not approved for use in the United States but is openly sold online and in retail stores as a supplement for anxiety, sleep, and focus. In reality, phenibut acts on GABA receptors much like benzodiazepines and barbiturates, causing sedation, euphoria, and tolerance. Because it is unregulated, consumers may take dangerously high doses without realizing the risk of dependence or withdrawal. ⸻ Documented Harms and Clinical Findings • U.S. poison centers and emergency departments have documented increasing cases of phenibut intoxication and withdrawal over the past decade. • Medical literature describes patients presenting with severe agitation, psychosis, tremors, and seizures after stopping phenibut suddenly. • Case reports detail hospitalizations requiring intensive care and benzodiazepine treatment to manage withdrawal symptoms. • Systematic reviews confirm serious withdrawal syndromes and toxicity comparable to alcohol or benzodiazepine dependence. • Deaths have occurred in cases involving phenibut combined with alcohol, opioids, or other sedatives. • The FDA has formally stated that phenibut is not a lawful dietary ingredient, yet it continues to be marketed as a supplement. ⸻ Why Action Is Needed Phenibut’s unregulated sale represents a clear public-health hazard. It is sold without dosage information, age restrictions, or ingredient verification. Its availability in gas stations and vape shops misleads consumers into believing it is safe. Parents, young adults, and recovering patients are being targeted by deceptive advertising that claims phenibut is “natural” or “non-addictive.” Without oversight, more people will experience dependence, withdrawal delirium, or medical emergencies requiring hospitalization. ⸻ What You Can Do 1. Classify phenibut as a Schedule I controlled substance under state and federal law. 2. Prohibit its manufacture, import, and sale as a dietary supplement or nootropic. 3. Empower health departments and pharmacy boards to take enforcement action against retailers and distributors. 4. Fund poison-control centers and healthcare education programs to track and prevent phenibut-related harms. 5. Require public-health alerts and consumer warnings about its risks. ⸻ Closing Phenibut is a synthetic depressant that has no place in retail stores or online marketplaces. It endangers families, mimics the harms of benzodiazepines, and has already caused preventable medical crises. I urge you to act quickly to ban phenibut and protect our communities from further harm. Respectfully, [Your Full Name] [City, State ZIP] [Optional: Title or Affiliation]