Calls About Kratom to U.S. Poison Control Centers Surge 1,200% Despite Minimal Proportion of Users

Why it matters

Reports on poison control calls provide evidence base for regulatory decisions. However, surge mainly reflects growing product availability and popularity rather than increased risk per user—only 0.28% of estimated kratom users called poison centers.

The big picture

Poison control data heavily influences federal regulation efforts despite well-known limitations. Recent CDC data shows 1,200% increase in calls (258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025), fueling federal scheduling efforts. However, experts caution that poison control calls are imperfect measures of substance risk.

Key findings

• CDC reports 1,200% increase in kratom-related poison control calls from 2015-2025 (258 to 3,434)
• Hospitalizations surged 1,200% for single-substance and 1,300% for multiple-substance cases
• 233 total kratom-related deaths documented; 80% involved multiple substances including opioids, alcohol, or benzodiazepines
• Surge mainly attributed to growing use of concentrated 7-OH products in 2025
• Only 0.28% of estimated 5 million kratom users made poison control calls despite dramatic percentage increases

What they say

As FDA moves to regulate 7-hydroxymitragynine but not whole-leaf kratom products, surveillance should distinguish product types to assess risks. Building this evidence base is essential to promoting safe kratom use, identifying high-risk combinations of substances, and guiding public health action.

Bottom line

**Poison control surge mainly reflects kratom's growing popularity and 7-OH product proliferation rather than increased per-user risk; meaningful regulation requires distinguishing product types.**