POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino has proposed a countywide ban on the sale and distribution of kratom.
The measure, she says, is to safeguard families and prevent young people from being exposed to “a risky, unregulated substance that has been linked to a growing number of hospitalizations and deaths across the country.”
In December 2025, Orange County voted to prohibit sales of kratom to persons under the age of 21.
The state also adopted a law requiring that kratom products include a health warning.
Under Serino’s proposed legislation that will come before the county legislature on August 10, anyone found selling or distributing kratom will be subject to a civil penalty of up to $1,500. The local law would heighten the focus on preventing youth access to kratom, with higher penalties for anyone selling or distributing the substance to anyone under the age of 21.
County Health Commissioner Dr. Livia Santiago-Rosado said kratom “has not been tested for safety, consistency, or accurate labeling by the FDA. The potential for arm is clear, with cases nationwide linking these products to addiction, serious health complications, overdose, and even death.”
Kratom is an unregulated substance derived from a Southeast Asian plant. Its active compounds act on the same brain receptors as opioids and have been linked to addiction, seizure, lover damage, respiratory depression, and, in some cases, death.”
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved kratom for any medical use and continues to warn consumers about its risk.”
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