Is kratom tea just as addictive as opioids?

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Global Kratom Coalition is calling for more education and regulation on kratom products. The organization reached out to 9 Investigates after we reported on the substance that local doctors said some are using to replace an opioid addiction.

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A local woman said her family has been ripped apart for that very reason. Heather Sprankle said her younger brother is addicted to kratom, and her older brother died of an overdose after consuming the tea.

She shared video with us of her younger brother pouring powder, meant to be turned into tea, directly into his mouth. She says he turned to the plant-based substance after dealing with an opioid addiction.

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“You go from a normal, everyday, happy-go-lucky person, and it’s like the life is sucked out of him, and he’s okay with it, because he’s such a big advocate for the tea, and he truly thinks that we’re the problem, and it’s not him,” Sprankle said.

He’s still consuming kratom, even though their older brother, Brandan, was found dead last summer. The coroner in Pennsylvania confirmed to the family, and to 9 Investigates, that his death was due to Mitragynine toxicity -- a kratom overdose. There was nothing else in his system and no underlying medical conditions noted in the coroner’s report.

“When the coroner said that was what he passed away from, my jaw dropped,” Sprankle said. “He told me to walk away understanding the Mitragynine toxicity was the reason for the death. There is nothing else to link to, except for that toxic chemical in his system.”

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Though these outcomes are rare, the Global Kratom Coalition agrees it underscores a need for more regulation and education in the United States.

“We need to characterize what kratom is, and what kratom isn’t,” GKC Executive Director Matthew Lowe said. “It’s incumbent upon the vendors, through regulation, to ensure that they’re putting forward products that, number one, they know are safe and very importantly, have directions for use on the packaging.”

Some states have required these types of labels, but Florida isn’t among them.

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“Giving that information to consumers so they can make informed consumption choices, I think is absolutely vital,” Lowe said.

Lowe also points out that not all kratom is created equal; with no regulation, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re buying. That’s something Sprankle wonders about every day.

“It’s basically like him going down the street, and finding drugs,” Sprankle said. “You don’t understand the compound you’re getting.”

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Kratom: What is it & what are the risks? Some hail it as a miracle for beating opioid addiction, but it’s banned in some other states and countries.

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