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Calls to poison centers about kratom, a drug widely available in vape shops and gas stations, increased more than 1,200% between 2015 and 2025, with a corresponding rise in hospitalizations, an alarming new UVA Health analysis reveals. 

Last year saw a record-high 3,434 reports, up from only 258 in 2015. The researchers say the dramatic increase – including a marked jump last year — reflects both the drug’s growing availability and the increasing potency of new formulations.

Hospitalizations linked solely to kratom increased by more than 1,150% over the 10-year period, from 43 in 2015 to 538 in 2025. Hospitalizations linked to kratom used in conjunction with other substances, such as illegal drugs or antidepressants, increased almost 1,300%, from 40 to 549. 

There were 233 deaths related to kratom during the study period, with 184 involving multiple substances.

“The data reflects a concerning trend,” said researcher Chris Holstege, MD, Director, UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center. “This trend found in the national data is also occurring in our local clinical practice, with more patients presenting to UVA Health following serious complications associated with kratom products.”

About Kratom

Kratom comes from the leaves of a tropical evergreen tree in Southeast Asia. People there have traditionally consumed the leaves — chewing, crushing or turning them into tea — for pain relief and mood enhancement. It can be both a stimulant, making users feel more energetic, and a sedative, making users feel less anxious and more relaxed. It’s also been used to reduce pain, and some people have turned to kratom to help with opioid withdrawal. (Its effectiveness in reducing opioid cravings has not been thoroughly evaluated.) 

Today, kratom can be found in shops across the United States, often in forms far stronger than leaves, such as pills that may have been mixed with undisclosed substances. Because these products are unregulated, buyers can’t be certain what their purchases may contain. Further, kratom itself has been linked to potential liver damage.

The drug’s growing use and potency prompted UVA Health researchers led by Rita Farah, PhD, MPH, PharmD, to analyze kratom-related calls to the nation’s poison centers using the National Poison Data System. They found that calls increased steadily from 2015-2019, plateaued from 2020-2024, then surged in unprecedented fashion in 2025. 

During the decade reviewed, more than 14,400 kratom exposures were reported. Most involved men, particularly men in their 20s and 30s. But there were also dramatic increases in reports involving people ages 40-59, suggesting more people are trying and using kratom.

This represents a concerning trend, the researchers say. In 2025, 60% of the multi-substance exposure reports had “serious medical outcomes,” and half required hospitalization, the authors note.

Based on their findings, the poison experts are calling for increased scrutiny of kratom, as well as for public health education campaigns to highlight that using it can have serious — even deadly — consequences, especially in combination with alcohol, medicines or illicit drugs.

“We are experiencing a marked increase in kratom-associated products being sold in the U.S. market,” Dr. Holstege says. “We want the public to be aware that these products contain chemicals of varying concentrations such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine that have complex pharmacological actions and can cause drug interactions and adverse consequences in humans.”

Findings Published

The researchers have published their findings in the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly bulletin, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The research team consisted of Eleanor Blair Towers, Ynhi T. Thomas, Holstege, and Farah. A list of the authors’ disclosures is included in the publication.

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