Kratom has quietly moved onto the shelves of vape shops, petrol stations and online stores across the United States and beyond. Many people are drawn to it because sellers market it as a natural remedy for pain, anxiety and even opioid withdrawal. However, the kratom risks behind that “natural” label are growing fast, and a record number of people are ending up in hospital as a result.

Over the past decade, poison centre calls about kratom surged by more than 1,200%. Specifically, reports climbed from just 258 in 2015 to a record high of 3,434 in 2025, according to the US National Poison Data System. That is not a minor uptick. In fact, that is a serious warning that more people need to hear.

What Exactly Is Kratom and Why Do the Risks Matter?

Kratom comes from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tropical evergreen tree native to South East Asia. Traditionally, people in countries like Thailand and Malaysia chewed the leaves or brewed them into tea for mild stimulant effects. However, what shops sell today is a very different product.

Modern kratom comes in powders, capsules, gummies and concentrated energy shots. Furthermore, many of these products contain isolated alkaloids such as 7-hydroxymitragynine, a compound that acts on the same brain receptors as opioids. As a result, these high-potency formulations carry far greater kratom harm than anything traditionally consumed.

In addition, kratom products are largely unregulated. Therefore, buyers have no reliable way of knowing what is inside what they purchase or at what concentration. This lack of oversight is itself one of the core kratom risks that consumers rarely consider.

Kratom Risks Are Far More Serious When Combined With Other Substances

One of the most concerning patterns is what happens when people combine kratom with other substances. Research from the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report in March 2026 shows that cases involving kratom alongside alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines, stimulants or antidepressants consistently produced more severe outcomes than kratom alone.

For instance, in 2025, 60% of multiple-substance kratom exposure reports resulted in serious medical outcomes. Moreover, around half of those cases required hospitalisation. Over the full 11-year study period from 2015 to 2025, researchers recorded 233 kratom-related deaths. Notably, a striking 79% of those deaths involved multiple substances, and opioids appeared in 62% of fatalities.

These figures matter because kratom rarely gets discussed with the same urgency as other substances. Yet the data tells a very different story about the scale of kratom harm involved.

Who Faces the Most Kratom Harm?

Kratom use cuts across many groups. Men in their 20s and 30s account for the highest proportion of reported cases. However, adults aged 40 to 59 have seen some of the sharpest increases in recent years. By 2025, their rates nearly matched those of younger adults, which suggests that kratom risks are spreading across age groups more broadly than before.

There is also a clear link between kratom use and mental health. Around two thirds of kratom users report using it to manage depression or anxiety. Furthermore, a quarter of cases involving kratom alongside other substances were linked to suspected suicide attempts. This connection deserves far more attention than it currently gets.

Similarly, hospitalisation figures paint a stark picture. Between 2015 and 2025, kratom-related hospitalisations for single-substance cases rose 1,200%, climbing from 43 to 538. For cases involving multiple substances, hospitalisations rose even further, up 1,300% from 40 to 549.

Why the “Natural” Label Does Not Reduce Kratom Risks

Many people assume that a plant-based product must be safe. That assumption, however, is wrong. Many substances found in nature carry serious risks, and kratom is no exception.

Beyond its effects on the brain and nervous system, kratom has links to potential liver damage. Moreover, newer semisynthetic formulations, particularly those containing concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine, are significantly more potent than products available even a few years ago. Consequently, the US Food and Drug Administration has already taken steps to address these high-potency products, recognising the kratom harm they can cause.

Furthermore, product labelling often does not reflect what is actually inside. Without regulation, there is simply no guarantee of purity, concentration or safety. That alone should give anyone pause before using it.

A Growing Concern

Lifetime kratom use in the United States grew from an estimated 4 million to 5 million people between 2019 and 2023. Additionally, FDA import data points to record-high demand continuing into 2025 and beyond. The sharp surge in cases seen in 2025 coincided directly with the wider availability of newer, more potent formulations.

Consequently, researchers and public health professionals are calling for greater surveillance, clearer product regulation and wider public education about kratom risks. There is particular need for campaigns reaching people across all age groups, given how broadly kratom harm has expanded in recent years.

Above all, understanding kratom risks starts with rejecting the assumption that something sold legally in a shop must therefore be safe. Legality and safety are not the same thing. The growing body of evidence around kratom makes that distinction increasingly important.

If you or someone you know uses kratom or is considering it, speaking to a healthcare professional is always the right first step.

Source: dbrecoveryresources