Kentucky health officials warn against use of kratom

LEXINGTON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Kratom is a tropical tree found in Southeast Asia, and it has been around for hundreds of years. Its leaves are sold throughout the United States and can treat things like pain, coughing, anxiety, depression, and even opioid use disorder and withdrawal.

“It is sold in Kentucky. Usually, it will come in either an herbal powder form or in a pill form,” said Program Director for Voices of Hope Lexington, Jimmy Chadwell.

In early June, the Kentucky Department for Public Health and the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy put out a health alert advising the public not to consume kratom products and products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, better known as 7-OH. It is a chemical compound found in kratom.

The health agencies warned that when 7-OH is concentrated or synthetically made, it can increase the risk of overdose, severe health issues, and death.

Chadwell urges those using pure kratom products for their harm-reduction benefits to do so wisely.

“Exercise caution. Moderate the amount you use. Never use it alone. Always have Narcan available. Okay? Because of these kratom and the 7-OH, they work on the opioid receptors. So having Narcan available is really going to save somebody’s life,” he told FOX 56.

Kratom is not FDA-approved and is illegal in six states.

But Chadwell said that Voices of Hope, an organization for people recovering from substance abuse disorders, believes the answer is not more laws; it is more conversation.

“We believe that creating more laws surrounding drugs and drug users will not help the community. Instead, we feel that supporting increases in the availability of education and encouraging harm reduction initiatives when using any substance are the best route to go,” he said.

Health officials also said there are no guarantees that kratom products contain the ingredients the packages claim, have the correct concentrations, or are free from contaminants or other drugs.