Lawmakers across the United States continue to debate the safety of kratom, an opioid-containing plant that has been listed as a “drug of concern” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It’s sold by kratom vendors over the counter in specialty stores and online.
Substance use disorders are a major health concern in the U.S. and a growing number of people suffering from these diseases are self-medicating with kratom to help break a cycle of dependence. After tobacco, the most commonly abused substance in the U.S. is alcohol with nearly 15 million people diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder.
A Purdue University-led team published a paper in the Nov. 8 edition of the British Journal of Pharmacology examining the effects of kratom and the potential impacts on people with alcohol use disorder. The cost to individuals and society from alcohol use is estimated at more than $250 billion each year.
Read more at Greensburg Daily News.