Kratom Poison Control Calls Rose Tenfold 2010–2015, Hit 1,807 Total by 2017 — Two-Thirds in Final Two Years

Why it matters

This is the definitive analysis of kratom-related poison control calls in the U.S. through 2017, and the dramatic acceleration in the final two years — comprising 65% of all cases — signals the rapid growth of kratom use during this period and provided key data for FDA and DEA scheduling discussions.

The big picture

Poison control data represent the most severe end of kratom exposure outcomes and likely reflect a small fraction of total users. The 2017 data predates the rise of highly concentrated 7-OH products, meaning today's poison control picture may look substantially different than this foundational dataset.

Key findings

• • 1,807 kratom exposures reported to U.S. poison control centers from 2011–2017; 65% occurred in 2016–2017, reflecting a tenfold increase since 2010
• • 31.8% of first-ranked kratom exposures required admission to a health care facility; 51.9% resulted in serious medical outcomes
• • Multi-substance exposures had 2.80× higher odds of hospitalization and 2.25× higher odds of serious outcomes compared to kratom-only exposures
• • 11 deaths associated with kratom exposure; only 2 occurred after kratom-only use
• • Most common clinical effects among kratom-only exposures: agitation/irritability (22.9%) and tachycardia (21.4%)
• • Seven neonatal exposures were recorded, five of which experienced withdrawal symptoms

What they say

Analysis of National Poison Data System (NPDS) data for 2011–2017; Center for Injury Research and Policy, Nationwide Children's Hospital / Ohio State University; Clinical Toxicology, 2019.

Bottom line

While kratom-associated poison control calls rose sharply by 2017, the data consistently show that serious outcomes — and especially deaths — are primarily concentrated in cases involving other substances, suggesting polysubstance use is the dominant driver of kratom-related harm.