The federal Food and Drug Administration is overseeing the recall and destruction of dietary supplements containing Kratom - a Southeast Asian plant that was being sold in smoke shops as a natural high.
According to the FDA, a large volume of Kratom-based supplements are sold nationwide under brand names like Botany Bay and Enhance Your Life. But now, they must be destroyed. The Missouri-based manufacturer is cooperating and agrees to stop selling all products containing Kratom.
Contact 13 reported in late 2016 how the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration faced push back when the agency tried to classify Kratom as a dangerous drug similar to heroin.
Now the FDA says scientific data proves "...compounds contained in Kratom are opioids and are expected to have similar addictive effects as well as risks of abuse, overdose and, in some cases, death."
The FDA also says there's no safe or legitimate medical use for Kratom, pointing out that kratom is not proven useful to treat addiction to pain pills or heroin.
The FDA is investigating at least 44 deaths possibly linked to Kratom. And the Centers for Disease Control is tracking a nationwide outbreak of a rare type of salmonella that could be linked to Kratom. In the interest of public health, the FDA urges swift action from other companies to get Kratom-based products off the market.
