That kid did NOT die from tianeptine. It was a cornucopia of drugs that killed him, but because tianeptine was the unknown compound of the bunch, and the company did not provide any information on how to use it, Powder City was an easy target.
This situation is similar to the kid who died from "steroids" a few years ago. He committed suicide. His parents believe steroids caused him to kill himself, despite him having been clinically diagnosed with major depression, as well as other undisclosed mental illnesses, years prior. Apparently, his parents found some testosterone in his room after his death and blamed steroids as the cause of their son's suicide. Of course, the fact that he was already extremely mentally ill--with illnesses that are known to lead to suicide--wasn't the problem; steroids were.
Unfortunately, grieving parents, especially ignorant ones, are prone to making irrational decisions in this type of situation. They need a scapegoat...and being able to place their finger on a single, definable "villain" makes it not only easier for them to find closure, but it allows them to "reach out" and "educate" others about the dangers of steroids, which makes them feel like their child's death wasn't in vain. When a child dies, anyone and everything becomes a target. They will blame something...because they NEED to in order to find closure..and steroids were an easy target...just like tianeptine was.
Anyway, tianeptine has been clinically studied at doses over 1,000 mg, which is nearly 100X higher than the normally prescribed dosage of 12.5 mg per dose). Even at this dose no serious, acute side effects were observed on any bodily system...and neither was respiratory depression an issue, as tianeptine does not depress respiratory function in the same way that traditional opiates do.
At worst, high-dose tianeptine use may have been a minor "contributor" in this Kid's death, but certainly not the main player. Tianeptine is recognized as a very safe drug in the medical field, even when administered at a dosing range well outside that used in clinical practice.