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Council adopts ordinance banning retail sale of tianeptine products in Rapid City on first reading
Summary
The council introduced and voted to approve Ordinance No. 6685 to prohibit sale of tianeptine and related products within city limits; sponsors said it targets unregulated products seen in other communities and focuses enforcement on sales rather than possession.
The Rapid City Council introduced and approved on first reading Ordinance No. 6685, which would add Chapter 8.54 to the municipal code to prohibit the purchase, sale or offering for sale of tianeptine and related products within city limits.
City Attorney staff said the ordinance was brought forward at the request of Alderman Temang after concerns raised about hospital cases and unregulated local availability. The city attorney explained the proposed ordinance focuses on sale rather than possession and would be enforced primarily by education with follow‑up legal action only for retailers who continue to sell after notification.
Council member Kevin Maher moved to approve the ordinance on first reading and retained the floor to comment in support; Maher cited reports and a Rapid City Journal article describing the drug's impacts and noted the FDA does not approve the substance. Councilmember Lindsay Seacrest asked the police chief about enforcement and current local presence; the chief said staff had surveyed more than 20 locations recently and had not yet found it widely sold but recommended education and voluntary compliance as a first step.
Councilman Bill Evans raised concern about inadvertent publicity increasing curiosity among youth, but the ordinance motion passed on council vote. The ordinance text and enforcement approach direct city staff to notify retailers and pursue legal action only for continuing noncompliance; possession is not criminalized by the ordinance as drafted.
The ordinance will proceed through the city's ordinance process; enforcement details and outreach to retailers were discussed as immediate next steps.
