Only 19% of Americans are familiar with kratom, a plant touted as a “natural opiate” and sometimes referred to as “gas station heroin,” according to APA’s latest
Healthy Minds poll. However, America’s Poison Centers have noted that reports of kratom exposure are increasing across the country:
1,690 kratom-related cases were logged in the first seven months of 2025, more than the entirety of 2024.
The poll was conducted online by Morning Consult between August 30 and September 1, 2025, among a sample of 2,200 adults in the United States.
Kratom is widely available throughout the United States, where it is sold as capsules, tonic beverages, or pressed tablets. These products contain increasingly concentrated forms of kratom’s principal naturally occurring opioid molecules, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).
In recent months, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken steps toward banning certain forms of kratom, sent a
warning letter about the substance to clinicians, and
announced early steps toward federal regulation. Several states have already banned kratom and/or its psychoactive chemicals, while others have placed restrictions on its purchase.
The Healthy Minds poll also asked about other unregulated substances marketed for mental health purposes, including kava, blue lotus, wild lettuce, salvia, mugwort, and yohimbe. Less than 8% of those polled were very familiar with any of these.
“It’s alarming that substances with addictive potential such as kratom are widely available and sold in convenience stores,” APA President Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, M.D., said in a
statement. “I recommend that you never take any substance without talking to a doctor. Too many of these so-called supplements on the market can pose serious health risks. When in doubt, your doctor can help you determine if a substance is safe to take and if it interferes with any other treatments you’re taking.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Sarno Markosasi)