1,200% jump in kratom-related calls to poison control centers in last decade, analysis shows

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

Over the last decade, poison control centers around the country have received tens of thousands of calls from consumers of kratom products reporting adverse and life-threatening health effects, with researchers saying reports in 2025 reached a new level.California’s poison center is reporting similar findings.Last month, researchers analyzed information from the National Poison Data System and found that between 2015 and 2025, poison control centers across the nation received 14,449 calls related to kratom.

More than 23% of those calls, or 3,434, were made last year, according to a published report in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.That represents a more than 1,200% increase from 2015, when only 258 calls were reported.Kratom is derived from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia.

It has a long history of being used for chronic pain or to boost energy and in the U.S., research points to Americans also using it to alleviate anxiety.In low doses, kratom appears to act as a stimulant but in high doses, it can have effects more like opioids.But in the last few years, a synthetic form of kratom refined for its psychoactive compound, 7-hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH, has entered the market that is highly concentrated and not clearly labeled, leading to confusion and problems for consumers.

The synthetic form gaining momentum in the market is sparking concern among public health officials because of its ability to bind to opioid receptors in the body, causing it to have a higher potential for abuse.Los Angeles County leaders, meanwhile, have grappled with differentiating the two and regulating the products that come in the form of powder, capsules and drinks and have been linked to six county deaths.

Sales of kratom and 7-OH products were banned in the county in November.In reviewing the data, which did not differentiate whether callers had c...