Research · 2026-08-31
CDC: 79% of Kratom-Associated Deaths Involved Multiple Substances
Source: Open Truth Project
Why it matters
Federal CDC surveillance data on 233 kratom-associated deaths from 2019–2022 shows that 184 — 79% — involved multiple substances. Hospitalizations and serious outcomes were consistently higher in multiple-substance cases.
The big picture
The single-substance narrative that drives most anti-kratom legislation is not what federal surveillance data shows. CDC analysis of kratom-involved death reports finds that polysubstance involvement is the rule, not the exception — and that the severe outcomes are concentrated in the multi-substance cases.
Key findings
- 233 total kratom-associated deaths in the CDC dataset (2019–2022).
- 184 (79%) involved multiple substances.
- Hospitalization rates: single-substance 24–29% vs. multiple-substance 44–56%.
- Serious outcome rates: single-substance 41–49% vs. multiple-substance 57–66%.
- Deaths: multiple-substance reports accounted for 184 of 233.
- 2018–2024 average poison-control calls: ~1,366/year (stable plateau).
- 2025 poison-control calls: 3,434 — 2.5× the pre-spike average; CDC attributes this to high-potency semisynthetic 7-OH market expansion.
- CDC caution: NPDS data cannot identify whether exposure involved traditional leaf, semisynthetic products, or concentrated formulations.
What they say
"Most death narratives are not single-substance stories." — Open Truth Project, citing CDC data
Bottom line
A dataset where 79% of deaths involve multiple substances cannot honestly support a natural-leaf-only prohibition narrative. The CDC data identifies a real rise in serious outcomes — and attributes that rise specifically to the semisynthetic 7-OH product shift, not to natural leaf.