US Poison Center Kratom Calls Jumped 1,200% From 2015 to 2025

Why it matters

The data give regulators and clinicians the clearest national picture yet of rising kratom-related harm, and they point specifically at synthetic derivatives like 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) rather than the raw leaf as the driver.

The big picture

Kratom exposure calls to US poison centers have been climbing for a decade, but the analysis shows a sharp inflection point in 2025 that tracks the growing availability of concentrated 7-OH products sold in gas stations and smoke shops. Researchers say the trend supports treating leaf kratom and synthetic derivatives as distinct regulatory categories rather than lumping them together.

Key findings

• National Poison Data System logged 14,449 kratom exposure reports between 2015 and 2025
• Annual reports rose roughly 1,200%, from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025
• The steepest increase came in 2025, coinciding with wider retail availability of semisynthetic 7-OH products
• 7-OH is currently proposed for federal control as a scheduled substance
• University of Virginia Health researchers link the spike to high-risk combinations involving synthetics rather than plain kratom leaf

What they say

"This evidence is essential to promoting safe kratom use, identifying high-risk combinations of substances, and guiding public health action to prevent future health effects in this rapidly evolving drug landscape," University of Virginia Health researchers said.

Bottom line

Poison center data show the recent surge in kratom harm tracks synthetic 7-OH products, not the traditional leaf, bolstering the case for regulating them separately.