Overdoses linked to kratom compound kill 3 people in California, officials say

A synthetic kratom compound sold at gas stations and smoke shops has been linked to three fatal overdoses of healthy Los Angeles County residents, health officials reported.

Three residents between the ages of 18 and 40 died after taking 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a synthetic kratom compound, and alcohol, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health said in a Friday, Sept. 12, news release. All were otherwise healthy.

Dr. Gary Tsai, the director of substance abuse prevention and control at the department, told SF Gate they are the first known 7-OH-related deaths in the county. He said most people are not aware that 7-OH can cause fatal overdoses.

“That’s really what represents the significant risk we are concerned about, particularly people combining it with alcohol and not knowing that it could be potentially life threatening,” Tsai told the publication.

“Kratom and 7-OH products are unregulated and marketed as remedies for pain, anxiety, and depression,” officials said in the release.

They are produced from leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia, which are crushed before being smoked, brewed with tea or put into gel capsules, officials said.

Companies are synthetically concentrating the psychoactive compound in kratom leaves into various products sold as dietary aids in gas stations and smoke shops, health officials said.

They are marketed as treatments for “pain, anxiety and mood disorders, opioid withdrawal, or energy/general well-being,” officials said.

The products are sold as “tablets, gummies, drink mixes, and concentrated (‘enhanced’ or ‘super’) liquid extracts or shots for drinking,” which officials say can be especially risky.

“High doses of 7-OH and/or co-used with alcohol or other sedatives can cause severe respiratory depression and death,” officials said in the release.

The agency advised people to avoid using kratom or 7-OH products.

In July, the federal Food and Drug administration warned people not to use kratom products and proposed treating 7-OH as a regulated drug.

This story was originally published September 14, 2025 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Overdoses linked to kratom compound kill 3 people in California, officials say."