Kratom Tied to Surge in Poison-Control Calls, Hospitalizations, Report Says

Findings call for more scrutiny of the botanical product and a public-information campaign—as state and federal officials debate regulations or bans.

Capsules of the herb kratom are seen in Miami on May 10, 2016. The substance is a psychoactive drug derived from the leaves of the kratom plant. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Calls to U.S. poison-control centers and hospitalizations involving kratom, a widely available herbal substance, each rose more than 1,000 percent over the past decade, new research reveals.

The findings, released by the University of Virginia Health System on March 26, notes a record-high 3,434 kratom-related reports to poison centers last year—up from 258 in 2015.