‘He didn’t wake up:’ Mom shares story of son’s kratom death as regulation debate continues

Kratom may interact with SSRIs, SNRIs, anti-psychotic medications, and other prescription drugs. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for any medical use, and its safety and effectiveness are not clinically determined. Kratom is a herbal substance derived from the leaves of the Mitragyna speciosa tree, native to Southeast Asia. “To put this into perspective, Kratom is now implicated in approximately 18% of the drug overdose fatalities in our county over the last year and a half. This warning comes in response to a concerning increase in deaths across our county directly linked to the herbal substance. The following is a news release from the Bonneville County Coroner’s Office.

Cleaner Production Process

Lawmakers in Iowa and other states have decided that kratom can be dangerous and started pushing for bans on the substance despite opposition from some users and people in the kratom industry who claim that only the synthetic versions of the drug are unsafe. Importantly, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary has made clear that natural kratom leaf is night and day different from the target of their efforts, the concentrated synthetic drug referred to as 7-OH. Despite their wide availability, kratom-derived and 7-OH products are not legally approved for sale for consumption online or in stores and are often misleadingly labeled and promoted as “safer" alternatives to opioids for the relief of pain and other issues. Some of the people USA TODAY spoke with say their addiction was just to products with kratom, and they never tried ones with synthetic 7-OH. They’ve banned 7-OH and other “synthetic” versions of kratom, as well as natural leaf kratom, due to fears they can cause addiction and overdoses.. States like Wisconsin, Indiana, Alabama, and Vermont had previously banned kratom, while states like Colorado and Mississippi had banned concentrated or synthetic 7-OH, allowing for the natural kratom leaf to continue to be sold.

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The Mayo Clinic says while some users turn to kratom to help fight opioid addiction, it labels the drug “unsafe and ineffective.” Physically, the drug can cause everything from liver damage to dry mouth. Most kratom products won’t be on Utah shelves as of Wednesday as new legislation went into effect allowing only pure leaf powders and capsules to be sold in specialty stores. “A study designed to evaluate kratom as a tool to help people overcome opioid addiction could not move forward unless an independent ethics review concluded that participation in the study presents an acceptable safety profile for human subjects.

Maloney is still struggling with the financial fallout of her addiction, but she believes that, one day, that will be fixed too. She also has healed her relationship with her daughters, whom she lets give her random drug tests − whatever it takes to earn their trust back. "I don't think everyone is afflicted with the disease of addiction," she says. Somebody had recommended it as a healthy way to relieve anxiety. "At its core, this is a plant that's been around thousands of years," Fong says.

• And just as 7-OH is like kratom on steroids, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl is like 7-OH on steroids.
• “Alabama will continue to aggressively investigate violations involving illegal controlled substances, and will remain committed to protecting our communities.”
• The drug has stimulant effects, in low doses, so people have reported feeling alert, physically energized and talkative, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

• Recently, widely available Kratom-derived products, including capsules, tonics, and pressed tablets, have increased the availability of concentrated, high potency 7-OH.
• For experienced kratom users seeking targeted effects, 7-OH products for sale offer a more intense experience.
• Only mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, speciociliatine, and corynantheidine are currently known to be pharmacologically active.
• There are limited data to describe long-term health hazards or optimal treatment for kratom users.
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for any medical use, and its safety and effectiveness are not clinically determined.

Not all users are understanding that fact, however — while others may seek synthetic products out intentionally. “And they sell it as kratom, even though it has nothing to do with the kratom plant itself — doesn’t resemble the composition, doesn’t resemble anything.” And just as 7-OH is like kratom on steroids, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl is like 7-OH on steroids. It quickly gained traction as a way of helping people get off of heroin or other opioids.

Former NASCAR driver Jack Smith, who became addicted to Percocet after breaking his neck twice, credits kratom for helping him overcome opioid dependence and manage chronic pain. “They said it was harder for them to come off of kratom than it was some of their other drugs,” Radford, who voted in favor of the ban, said. In Bonneville county, Idaho, the coroner reported in October 2025 that four local deaths in the previous 18 months were due solely to acute drug toxicity of mitragynine, the primary active compound in kratom. Earlier this year, Idaho lawmakers considered a bill that banned kratom and a bill that banned only 7-OH and would have only allowed people 21 and older to purchase kratom. Some states have introduced different regulations, including bans on just synthetic forms of kratom. In 2024, Maizie Hepner, 24, started visiting a bar in Dubuque, Iowa that did not serve alcohol and instead offered beverages containing kava and kratom, psychoactive substances derived from plants.

Climate Change and Health

We are clear that we make a powerful product and that it is not intended for everyone. Noble kava root is at the heart of all our pairings and is the primary ingredient in feel free® and the newest addition to our product portfolio, Kava Maté. Botanic Tonics uses botanicals rather than synthetic alternatives. "I just want to help people know that they're not alone and to see that there's hope on the other side. huntington blogs Because when I was in it, I truly was like, I have no idea how I'm gonna get out of this," she said.

The answers referenced only synthetic kratom (7-OH) and the agency's announcement of a plan to crack down on it last July. Botanic Tonics and the Global Kratom Coalition, which both tout the safety of leaf kratom online, denied CBS News Chicago's repeated requests for interviews. And while the FDA is actively warning people not to use kratom, citing the risk of serious adverse events, the agency hasn't taken further steps. In 2024, poison control centers started tracking 7-OH, a synthetic kratom derivative. It's easy to buy and increasingly popular, even as doctors and medical experts grow more concerned about its health impacts, addiction rates and deaths. Feel Free, a kratom drink, is marketed as healthy.