Graphic of the week: Drug overdose deaths involving kratom

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Recent data from RecoveryOhio shows that while less than 1% of all accidental drug overdose deaths in Ohio from 2019 to 2024 involved kratom, the number has increased by 180%, as illustrated above.
 
Kratom is a stimulant that has opioid-like effects and, until recently, was sold in natural and synthetic forms over the counter as a supplement at retail stores in Ohio.
 
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy recommended last month that all forms of kratom be reclassified as Schedule 1 controlled substances. That decision came shortly after Gov. Mike DeWine issued an executive order banning synthetic kratom. 
 
The Pharmacy Board rules banning mitragynine, the primary psychoactive chemical found in kratom, will not be finalized for at least a few months. The rules still need to be reviewed by the Common Sense Initiative in the governor’s office and the Ohio General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.