Three more deaths in Los Angeles County have been linked to kratom, a compound that is being synthetically reproduced and sold over the counter as a cure-all for a host of ailments, the county Department of Public Health announced on Friday.
The compound, also known as 7-Hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, was found to be a contributing cause of death in three residents who were between the ages of 18 and 40, according to the county health department.
That brings the total number of recent overdose deaths related to kratom in L.A. County to six. The first three deaths were identified in September. Alcohol was also found in all six individuals.
“It’s critical that the community understand that these products are dangerous and can result in fatal overdoses,” said Gary Tsai, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Bureau. “The safest thing to do is avoid using 7-OH and kratom-related products altogether.”
In addition, Tsai said, to reverse an opioid overdose, the best approach is to administer naloxone.
Kratom is an herbal extract derived from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa, a tree native to Southeast Asia, and is commonly sold as a powder or pill — sometimes based on its natural form, and sometimes based on a synthetic version. Recently, U.S. purveyors have been selling more and more products with potentially dangerously concentrated amounts of 7-OH, according to a July report from the Food and Drug Administration.
Researchers say there are people in the United States who use kratom to alleviate anxiety and chronic pain or as a remedy for the symptoms associated with quitting opioids. But despite its use for pain relief, public health officials have raised concerns about the potential for 7-OH abuse because of its ability to bind to opioid receptors in the body.
“Retailers should immediately stop selling any 7-OH products, as these are not lawfully marketed in the U.S. as a drug product, dietary supplement, or food additive,” L.A. County’s public health department said on Friday.
The synthetic product comes in various forms such as tablets, gummies, drink mixes, and concentrated liquid extracts or shots for drinking. When mixed with alcohol and certain drugs, 7-OH can cause severe respiratory depression, when breathing becomes too slow, which in worse-case scenarios can lead to death.
According to warning letters sent by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to firms marketing kratom-related products, 7-OH has not been approved by the FDA and is not permitted to be marketed or sold as a drug or additive to food or drinks.
In the absence of regulation at the state level, some communities in California have taken it upon themselves to act. Orange County and the cities of Newport Beach, San Diego and Oceanside have all prohibited the sale, distribution or possession of kratom.
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