Psychology Today: Kratom Is an Opioid — and Addiction Rates Are Rising

Why it matters

A licensed clinical social worker and addiction specialist argues that kratom's opioid mechanism is being minimized in public discourse — echoing the dynamics that preceded the prescription opioid crisis. The piece synthesizes recent CDC, SAMHSA, and Journal of Addiction Medicine data to make a clinical case for broader regulatory action.

The big picture

The article draws a direct historical parallel between the under-regulation of prescription opioids in the late 1990s and the current treatment of kratom as a benign supplement. Author Dan Mager, MSW, LCSW, notes that kratom's primary active compound — mitragynine — activates the same mu-opioid receptors as heroin and oxycodone. Despite a 1,200% increase in kratom-related poison center calls over the past decade, ordinary kratom remains legal and widely sold in most states following the DEA's narrower July 2026 action targeting only concentrated 7-OH products.

Key findings

• An estimated 1.85 million Americans aged 12 and older used kratom in 2024, up from 1.63 million in 2023
• Kratom use among adolescents aged 12 to 17 increased 51% from 2023 to 2024 — from 43,000 to 65,000 users
• Kratom-related poisonings and hospitalizations rose 1,200% over the past decade, primarily before 7-OH products existed
• The FDA's position is that kratom itself — not just 7-OH — carries significant risk
• Kratom can produce tolerance, dependence, craving, and withdrawal — classical markers of opioid use disorder

What they say

"Kratom isn't just a plant, it's an opioid." — FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, 2018, quoted in the article as still representing the agency's current position

Bottom line

Kratom's opioid pharmacology and surging use — especially among adolescents — represent warning signs that clinicians and policymakers cannot afford to dismiss the way early opioid epidemic signals were ignored.