Wednesday, November 4

Botanicals

Botanicals

Kratom is linked to more overdose deaths than previously reported

Overdose deaths involving the herbal supplement kratom are more common than previously reported, according to U.S. health officials. A government report released Thursday said kratom was a cause in 91 overdose deaths in 27 states. Officials previously said they knew of 44 nationally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the numbers after combing through death certificates and toxicology reports from an 18-month period. Most who died had also taken heroin, fentanyl or other drugs. But kratom was the only substance detected in seven of the deaths. Kratom comes from a plant native to Southeast Asia. It is sold as kratom capsules and powders with claims that it helps ease pain, anxiety and drug dependence. But kratom is not regulated by the FDA and health officials ...
Botanicals

Herbal drug kratom linked to almost 100 overdose deaths, CDC says

An over-the-counter herbal drug has been linked to more deaths in recent years, federal health officials say. Kratom – a plant grown naturally in Southeast Asia and often sold in powder capsules – was a cause of death in 91 overdoses in the United States from July 2016 to December 2017, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In seven of the overdoses, kratom was the only substance to test positive in a toxicology report, though the CDC says other substances couldn't be ruled out. Health officials looked at numbers from state overdose reporting databases and found that of the 27,338 overdose deaths in that time period, 152 of the deceased people tested positive for kratom, even if it was not a cause of death. Read more at USA Toda...
Botanicals

Kratom products could contain high amounts of nickel and lead, FDA warns

The Food & Drug Administration warns that popular supplements used as an alternative to opioids could contain large amounts of heavy metals. Kratom (pronounced CRATE-um), is a supplement made from leaves of trees native to southeast Asia that have been traditionally been used as way to relieve pain, increase energy and ease opioid withdrawal. The leaves are traditionally brewed as a tea or chewed raw. But in recent years — especially in light of the opioid epidemic — kratom has become a popular alternative to treat pain. In the United States, it is often sold in as kratom capsules at smoke shops, holistic medicine shops and even gas stations. However, according to a health department fact sheet, kratom products are not regulated or required to be tested — meaning the risk of c...
Botanicals

FDA Confirms ‘Dangerous’ Levels of Heavy Metals in Some Kratom Products

Final results of tests performed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 30 kratom products confirm the presence of heavy metals, including lead and nickel, at concentrations not considered safe for human consumption, the FDA said Wednesday. The FDA first warned of "disturbingly" high levels of heavy metals, including lead and nickel, last November, as reported by Medscape Medical News. The FDA has posted a list of the kratom products and concentrations of heavy metals found in them on its website. Based on reported patterns of kratom use, heavy kratom users may be exposed to levels of lead and nickel many times greater than the safe daily exposure, the FDA warns in a statement. Based on these test results, the typical long-term kratom user could potentially develop heavy...
Botanicals

Drug task force lobbies county to ban sale of opioid-like Kratom

In response to the request of a community drug task force, the St. Johns County Board of Commissioners will consider at their board meeting Tuesday regulating kratom, a plant-based substance considered to be similar to opioids. Kratom is a botanical product found in Southeast Asia that can mimic the “high” of harder drugs like morphine and heroin because of compounds that interact with the same pleasure-producing receptors in the brain, and thus cause dependence, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Reports show that consumption of the drug — sold as powder, capsules or a liquid “K Shot” — has increased over the last few years, particularly among opioid users looking to switch to a less expensive alternative or to move toward sobriety. It has also been shown to produce ...