Four Kootenai County Deaths Tied to Kratom in 2025 as Health District Issues Warning

Why it matters

Local coroner and public health officials in northern Idaho are raising alarms about kratom-related deaths, particularly involving synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products sold without age restrictions at gas stations. The warning arrives as Spokane considers a citywide ban.

The big picture

Kratom and its synthetic derivatives remain unregulated at the federal level and in both Washington and Idaho. Sold openly in convenience stores and gas stations, products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine are of particular concern to officials — who note that coroners often cannot determine whether a death involved natural kratom leaf or concentrated synthetic 7-OH due to testing limitations. Many coroners nationwide still do not test for kratom at all.

Key findings

• Four Kootenai County residents died of overdose in 2025 with kratom detected in their system; in only one case was kratom the sole drug present
• Kootenai County Coroner Duke Johnson said he expects more kratom-related deaths in 2026
• Johnson suspects synthetic 7-OH products — not natural kratom leaf — are responsible for most deaths, given the difficulty of consuming a lethal dose of unaltered leaf
• Gas station staff report customers purchasing kratom or 7-OH products four to five times per day, including minors
• Spokane County recorded no kratom-associated deaths in 2025, though testing may be incomplete due to budget constraints limiting expanded kratom screening

What they say

Kootenai County Coroner Duke Johnson stated: "The government is dragging its feet to address kratom, and we are seeing the result. How can you say kratom is a rare kind of overdose if you're not checking for it?"

Bottom line

Idaho health officials are directly connecting kratom — especially concentrated synthetic 7-OH products — to overdose deaths, and are calling for federal and state action before more lives are lost.