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Kratom is sold over the counter as a powder and capsule form in the United States. (AP Photo)
NEW YORK: In the United States, overdose deaths involving herbal supplements based on kratom, a light narcotic popular in Thailand, are more common than previously reported, officials said. of health.
A government report released this week said kratom was the cause of 91 overdose deaths in 27 US states. The officials had said previously that they knew 44 of them at the national level.
Most of those who died also took heroin, fentanyl or other drugs. But kratom was the only substance detected in seven of the deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported figures after reviewing death certificates and toxicology reports for a period of 18 months.
The kratom comes from a plant native to Southeast Asia, but has been illegal in Thailand for decades. It is particularly popular among young men in the southern provinces, where the leaves are often mixed with "cocktails" containing cola and cough syrup.
The local status of kratom could, however, be about to change. While the government's recent legalization of controlled production, importation and use of cannabis for medical and research purposes has made headlines, kratom is also covered by the new law.
In the United States, kratom is sold over the counter in capsules and powders claiming that it helps to relieve pain, anxiety and addiction.
Officials say it causes euphoric effects like opioid drugs at the root of the current overdose epidemic in the United States.
Kratom poisoning has increased dramatically as it has become an increasingly popular treatment for withdrawal and opioid dependence.
According to a new study published in the journal, telephone calls for kratom exposures in poison centers have increased 50-fold, from 13 in 2011 to 682 in 2017. Clinical Toxicology.
According to this study, 11 people died after being exposed to kratom during this period, including two people exposed only to kratom, as opposed to a combination of substances.
"There is a significant increase in the number of cases," said Henry Spiller, director of the Central Ohio Poison Center, who conducted the study with the Center for Injury Research and Policy, the Institute. Nationwide Children's Hospital, etc.
He added that the increase was probably due to increased use, and possibly even larger doses, of a substance recently becoming more common.
"I think it's generally accepted that this is a natural substance, so it's safe. But we must understand that this entails risks, "he said. "If the use continues to grow, we will see these problems because it is a really powerful substance."
The US Food and Drug Administration has stated that, like opioids, kratom carries similar risks of abuse, dependence and, in some cases, death.
Proponents of kratom, led by the American Kratom Association, challenged the danger, citing earlier reports suggesting low toxicity and less severe withdrawal than opiates. They compare the dependence characteristics of kratom to caffeine in coffee.
"Follow science. Kratom itself is safe, "Charles Haddow, the group's senior public policy official, said last month.
According to the association, between 3 and 5 million people use kratom in the United States.
The study published in Clinical Toxicology indicates that small doses of kratom produce mild stimulating effects, whereas opioid-like effects occur after moderate to high doses and sedative effects are associated with very high doses.
Of the 1,174 single-substance exposures exposed to kratom examined in the study, the most common clinical effects were agitation and irritability, tachycardia, nausea, drowsiness and lethargy, vomiting, confusion and hypertension.
By the end of 2017, the Department of Health and Social Services had recommended that kratom be listed on the Schedule 1 drug list, which would ban the substance and classify it in the same classification as the drug. 39, heroin and LSD.
But such an initiative should come from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and no action has been taken. The proposal is currently in a public comment period.
For now, the FDA has not approved kratom for medical use and the DEA has listed kratom as a "drug and chemical of concern."
The American Kratom Association opposes the decision to ban the substance, claiming that the FDA has not demonstrated that kratom creates a dangerous addiction and that it poses a risk for public security.
The group said a ban on katrom would potentially increase the number of deaths, as many users would turn to dangerous and addictive drugs.
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