This over-the-counter herbal supplement was linked to 91 overdose deaths
When it comes to drug use, there are a few big scary names that come to mind. Fentanyl, heroin, and synthetic cannabinoids have all been known to lead to overdosing and, in some cases, death. But one culprit behind drug overdosing is still on your pharmacy shelf.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report Friday detailing the deaths linked to an over-the-counter herbal supplement called kratom. Sold in powdered or capsule form, this drug is marketed as a balm to pain, anxiety, and even dependence on other drugs.
But the substance isn't regulated by the FDA, and some officials have concerns about its safety. Kratom is said to cause a euphoric high similar to that of opioid drugs — the same ones that have caused our nationwide epidemic of drug dependence and addiction.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While previous estimates of kratom-related deaths hovered around 44, the CDC analyzed 18 months of data to find that kratom was involved in 91 overdose deaths across 27 states, the new report said. Most deaths had other drugs involved, like fentanyl or heroin; but in seven of the cases, kratom was the only drug linked to the deaths.
Using kratom can cause "a variety of serious medical outcomes," said Henry Spiller, who has conducted studies on the drug. "Just because it is currently classified as an herbal supplement does not mean it is regulated or that it is safe."
Read more about the dangers of kratom at CBS News.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerous
The Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
By David Faris Published
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulus
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Teenage girl kills 2 in Wisconsin school shooting
Speed Read 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow fatally shot a teacher and student at Abundant Life Christian School
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Penny acquitted in NYC subway choking death
Speed Read Daniel Penny was found not guilty of homicide in the 2023 choking death of Jordan Neely
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Suspect in CEO shooting caught, charged with murder
Speed Read Police believe 26-year-old Luigi Mangione killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
UnitedHealthcare CEO killed in 'brazen, targeted' hit
Speed Read Police are conducting a massive search for Brian Thompson's shooter
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
DOJ demands changes at 'abhorrent' Atlanta jail
Speed Read Georgia's Fulton County Jail subjects inmates to 'unconstitutional' conditions, the 16-month investigation found
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
China tries to bury deadly car attack
Speed Read An SUV drove into a crowd of people in Zhuhai, killing and injuring dozens — but news of the attack has been censored
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Virtual prisons': how tech could let offenders serve time at home
Under The Radar New technology offers opportunities to address the jails crisis but does it 'miss the point'?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Menendez brothers may go free in LA prosecutor plan
Speed Read Prosecutors are asking for the brothers to be resentenced for the 1989 murder of their parents
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published