Austin health officials warn about Kratom products

A new city memo reveals opioid-related deaths in Travis County are down 35%. Officials credit expanded naloxone distribution and community harm reduction investments. But Austin-Travis County EMS data points to another emerging threat. We have seen an increase in unknown opioids that are causing non-fatal and fatal deaths in our county. Austin Public Health says a potent opioid-like compound associated with kratom is cause for concern. Kratom is derived from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. It's sometimes marketed as a natural remedy for pain, anxiety, and opioid withdrawal. Kratom is legal to purchase and can be found at gas stations, convenience stores, smoke shops, and online retailers. The Kratom products, when they are produced, can be candies, snacks, gummies. Health officials say what's inside some of these products is raising the biggest concern. Kratom itself has a chemical in it, mitragynine, which is... is It can be changed with chemical processes to something that's more potent called 7-OH-Hydroxymitragynine. And that is the chemical that's concerning because it is a more potent chemical and it is a semi-synthetic opioid. Concentrated 7-OH products can cause dependence, serious health complications, and potentially life-threatening overdoses. Some lab studies show 7-OH can be substantially more potent than morphine under certain conditions. Because Kratom is a semi-synthetic opioid, it can cause an opioid-like overdose that, if it's used in combination with other drugs, can require more Narcan. The drug that's used to reverse overdoses to be needed in order to save lives and reverse that overdose. The concerns aren't just local. Last month, two University of Mississippi students were found dead. Police said packaged kratom from a retail store were found during the investigation. Texas law capped 7-OH levels in kratom at 2% and banned sales to minors. At the federal level, regulators announced emergency scheduling, targeting concentration thresholds. What the federal government and the Drug Enforcement Administration is doing is looking at the differences between those two compounds and limiting the amount that can be available in a product. What that will do is that will give the legal means to define how much of that drug is available Over-the-counter.