Decline in abuse of pentazocine/tripelennamine (T's and Blues) associated with the addition of naloxone to pentazocine tablets

Abstract

From 1977 to 1982, the intravenous use of the combination pentazocine/tripelennamine (T's and Blues) had become a major drug abuse problem in St. Louis, MO, U.S.A. In 1983, the manufacturer of pentazocine tablets removed the drug from the pharmaceutical market and released a new tablet formulation of pentazocine and the narcotic antagonist naloxone. Since 1983 there has been a continuous decline in T's and Blues abuse whereby (a) the new pentazocine tablets do not produce the euphoria sought by addicts; (b) the price of old pentazocine tablets has greatly increased and (c) the availability of heroin and other narcotics has increased.