LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Health officials in Kentucky are warning the public not to consume a substance called kratom or any kratom products.
That’s according to a news release from the Kentucky Department for Public Health and Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.
Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. The leaves from the tree can be made into a variety of products such as drinks, pills, teas, gummies, and more. People use those products to self-treat conditions such as pain, coughing, diarrhea, anxiety, depression, opioid addiction, and opioid withdrawal.
Health officials advise products made with kratom, and its active ingredient 7-hydroxmitragynine (7-OH) can cause severe adverse reactions, including:
- Liver toxicity
- Seizures
- Addiction
- Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in newborns following prolonged exposure to kratom before birth
Kratom has been identified as a drug of concern by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It has NOT been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use in any drug or supplement products in the U.S. due to the risk of serious negative health effects.
Also, there are no guarantees that kratom products contain the ingredients the packages claim, that active ingredients are present in the correct concentrations, or that products are free from contaminants or other drugs.
Kratom in its modern forms — especially 7-OH when concentrated or synthetically made — poses new and serious risks to the health and safety of consumers.
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