UVA Health: Kratom Poison Center Reports Hit Record 3,434 in 2025—a 1,200% Surge Over the Prior Decade

Why it matters

The dramatic surge in kratom-related poison center calls—and accompanying hospitalizations—gives public health officials a decade-long baseline showing exactly how the risk profile of kratom has changed as more potent products entered the market.

The big picture

Multiple analyses have tracked rising kratom-related harms, but this UVA Health study isolates the 2015–2025 period and documents a sharp acceleration in 2025. Researchers link the spike to wider product availability and the growing potency of newer kratom formulations and extracts entering the U.S. market.

Key findings

• Kratom-related poison center calls rose from 258 in 2015 to 3,434 in 2025—a more than 1,200% increase
• Hospitalizations from kratom-only exposures rose more than 1,150% over the decade
• When kratom was combined with other substances, hospitalizations increased nearly 1,300%
• 233 deaths were associated with kratom during the study period; 184 involved multiple substances
• In 2025, 60% of multi-substance kratom cases resulted in serious medical outcomes requiring hospitalization

What they say

"We are experiencing a marked increase in kratom-associated products being sold in the U.S. market. These products contain chemicals of varying concentrations such as mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine that have complex pharmacological actions and can cause drug interactions and adverse consequences in humans," said Dr. Chris Holstege, director of UVA Health's Blue Ridge Poison Center.

Bottom line

Kratom-related poisonings surged to a record high of 3,434 cases in 2025, with hospitalizations and deaths rising sharply—a public health signal that the nature of kratom risk is accelerating alongside the spread of more potent products.