Kratom poison center cases have surged 6,500% in the U.S.
A new study published in Addiction reveals a 6,500% surge in kratom-related poison center reports in the U.S. between 2010 and 2023. Researchers noted that states with stricter bans on the substance experienced fewer severe medical outcomes compared to states with lax regulations.
Why it matters
The findings underscore the public health risks associated with unregulated psychoactive substances and the potential impact of state-level policy on medical outcomes.
Kratom, a psychoactive plant that can produce opioid like effects at high doses, has been linked to a sharp rise in poison center reports and serious medical outcomes across the United States. New research published in Addiction found that reported kratom exposures have increased dramatically over the past decade.
According to the study, kratom exposures reported to America's Poison Centers climbed from just 19 cases in 2010 to 1,242 cases in 2023. That represents an increase of more than 65 times (6,500%).
Serious cases also became much more common. There were no severe outcomes reported in 2010 (2012 was the first year in which a severe outcome was reported), compared with 158 severe cases in 2023. Researchers classified a severe medical outcome as one involving life-threatening effects, significant lasting disability, or death.
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