{
  "id": 17646879,
  "title": "What are the risks of using kratom?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/what-are-the-risks-of-using-kratom",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-01T17:28:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Futurity",
    "slug": "futurity",
    "url": "https://www.futurity.org/kratom-risks-regulation-3351682/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kratom, a powerful substance akin to opioids, is widely available in the United States through various retail outlets such as gas stations, convenience stores, and smoke shops. This largely unregulated drug has gained significant popularity in recent years, leading to numerous deaths and raising serious concerns about its safety and accessibility.\n\nIn 2025, poison control centers across the country reported a staggering 3,434 cases of kratom exposure, marking a staggering 1,200% increase in such incidents compared to 2015. In 2025, investigations into the tragic deaths of two students in Mississippi uncovered kratom products, although authorities have not yet determined if kratom played a role in their demise. Earlier this year, health officials in Utah connected four deaths to potent kratom-derived compounds found in mislabeled products.\n\nCaleb Alexander, a professor of epidemiology and medicine at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness, sheds light on the risks associated with using kratom. He explains that kratom is a potent substance that can have serious consequences for users. Alexander emphasizes the importance of understanding these risks, as well as the current state of regulation for kratom at both the federal and state levels.",
  "summary": "An expert explains what kratom is, what the risks are of using it, and where regulation of the drug stands at the federal and state levels.",
  "key_points": [
    "Kratom sales unregulated across U.S., available at gas stations and smoke shops",
    "3,434 kratom exposure cases reported in 2025, 1,200% increase from 2015",
    "Potent kratom compounds linked to four deaths in Utah"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}