---
title: Kratom Poisoning Reports Are Surging
description: Over the past decade, and especially in the past year, there has been a surge in kratom-related calls to poison control centers—including calls for serious events that required hospitalization.
---

[Psych News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org)

# [Kratom Poisoning Reports Are Surging](https://alert.psychnews.org/kratom-poisoning-reports-are-surging)

 Written by [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) | 3/30/26 3:00 PM

Over the past decade, and especially in the past year, there has been a surge in kratom-related calls to poison control centers—including calls for serious events that required hospitalization, according to data [published](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/wr/mm7511a1.htm) in the latest *Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report*.

 

**Why It’s Relevant**

The kratom plant—which is used for both its psychoactive and (purported) pain-relieving properties—is widely available in the United States in various products that are sold in vape shops, gas stations, and online. But both kratom leaves and newer semisynthetic extracts like 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) are underregulated and pose significant [health risks](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2019.5a2).

 

**By the Numbers**

- In 2025, U.S. poison centers received **3,434 reports of kratom exposure—an increase of 1,200%** from 2015 (258 reports). Incidents of kratom exposure that required hospitalization likewise saw a more than 1,000% increase (from 83 in 2015 to 1,087 in 2025).
- The number of reports **more than doubled between 2024 and 2025**—which coincides with the [emergence of 7-OH products](https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.pn.2025.10.10.21).
- Overall, **62% of the reports involved exposure solely to kratom**, while 38% involved multiple substances. Multi-substance exposures were consistently associated with higher rates of hospitalization or death.

** **

**What’s More**

While alcohol (22%) and opioids (16%) were the most common substances reported alongside kratom in multi-substance poison reports, **antidepressants were cited in 14% of reports**—underscoring a connection between kratom use and mental health.

 

**The Other Side**

The poison center data don’t include details on what kratom products were ingested (traditional leaf products or semisynthetic products), so conclusions about formulation-specific risks cannot be made. Also, it wasn’t possible to determine whether kratom was the catalyst for a medical problem in cases of multi-substance use.

 

**Takeaway Message**

As kratom-related adverse effects increase in number and complexity, continued surveillance is important—especially data that distinguish the risks of different products. The researchers wrote: “Building this evidence base is essential to promoting safe kratom use, identifying high-risk combinations of substances, and guiding public health action to prevent future health effects in this rapidly evolving drug landscape.”

 

**Related Information**

“[Most Americans Don’t Know What Kratom Is, Poll Finds](https://alert.psychnews.org/most-americans-dont-know-what-kratom-is-poll-finds)”

 

**Source**

Eleanor Blair Towers, et al. Increases in kratom-related reports to poison centers—National Poison Data System, United States, 2015–2025. *MMWR. *Published March 26, 2026. doi: [dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7511a1](http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7511a1)

 

(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Yanawut)

 

[View full post](https://alert.psychnews.org/kratom-poisoning-reports-are-surging)

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