Kratom is accounting for a dramatic rise in ED visits, Elizabeth Tracey reports

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You may have noticed among the offerings at gas stations and convenience stores something called kratom. This is a plant based drug with the potential for undesired side effects that is unregulated in the United States. Now over a thousand fold increase in emergency department visits due to kratom use has been reported. Substance use disorder expert Eric Strain at Johns Hopkins describes the drug.

Strain: Kratom is a really interesting drug. It's been around for a long time. The thing is it can be easily accessed through places like convenience stores and gas stations. It works as sort of like a mild stimulant at some doses, kind of like caffeine, but it also then can have opioid like effects as well, especially as the dose goes up. That's related to the main active ingredient which is something called mitragynine.  :28

Kratom products sold anywhere, including online, may not contain only kratom, Strain notes, which is also potentially harmful. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.