Kratom Poisoning Reports Increased 1,200% in Recent Years: CDC

As the industry has switched from traditional leaves to concentrated extracts, the number of kratom overdose deaths have spiked in recent years, leading to a number of poisoning lawsuits now being pursued by consumers.

Federal regulators say kratom poisoning cases have risen sharply since 2015, a trend they attribute to increasingly potent products entering the market.

Kratom is a psychoactive substance made from the leaves of a tropical evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Historically consumed in that region for pain relief, mood enhancement and opioid withdrawal, kratom supplements are now widely available in the United States.

In recent years, the manufacturing of kratom products has shifted from using traditional leaves to high-potency alkaloid extracts. As a result, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned in 2019 that the number of calls regarding kratom poisonings increased from 13 in 2011 to nearly 700 in 2017.

New CDC findings published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for March 26 now show that U.S. poison control centers are receiving up to two kratom-related phone calls per day.

Kratom Health Risks

Kratom’s active ingredient, mitragynine, has been linked to numerous adverse health conditions, including deadly heart arrhythmias. In addition to these potentially fatal events, health officials have also warned that certain kratom products may be linked to aggressive behavior and addiction.

In recent years, kratom has been refined into a more potent compound known as 7-hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH, which binds to the opioid receptors in the brain to create a euphoric effect. Due to the product’s addictive properties and abuse potential, federal regulators have called for 7-OH to be added to the federal drug schedule.

Following this action, a number of lawsuits have been brought targeting the sale of 7-OH kratom products, which are often marketed as safe and natural, despite the possibility of kratom addiction.

Last year, a lawsuit was filed against the makers of a kratom-containing seltzer after users suffered severe withdrawal symptoms. In addition, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed after a kratom poisoning led to a man’s death in Washington state in 2024.

Kratom Poisoning Reports

For the new report, CDC researchers analyzed data from the National Poison Data System from 2015 through 2025, indicating there were 14,449 kratom exposure poisoning reports during that period.

According to the findings, poison control calls involving Kratom increased significantly over the 10 years of the study, rising from 258 reports in 2015 to more than 3,400 in 2025. That’s a more than 1,200% increase in kratom-related poisonings.

The data indicates other addictive substances and antidepressants were also involved in many kratom poisoning reports.

Single-substance kratom exposures made up 62% of reports. However, cases involving kratom combined with other substances were more frequent and severe, with rates ranging from 467 to 5,442 per million reports, compared to 388 to 4,045 per million for kratom alone.

Multiple-substance poisonings were also linked to higher rates of hospitalizations and serious adverse outcomes, including life-threatening side effects. In addition, researchers determined multiple substance poisonings accounted for the majority of kratom-linked deaths.

Most of the poisonings involved men and young adults between 20 and 39 years old. However, rates of poisoning among 40 to 59 year olds also increased sharply during the study period as well.

CDC researchers warned kratom continues to be a public health concern and ongoing surveillance is needed to help identify high-risk use and abuse. They indicate this data should help guide clinical care and public outreach efforts.

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