Officials are warning Los Angeles County residents and healthcare providers after multiple fatal overdoses linked to the synthetic kratom compound known as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH).
“The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner recently identified three additional fatal overdoses associated with 7-OH ingestion in Los Angeles County residents ages 18 to 40,” Los Angeles County Public Health said in a news release Friday.
The three additional deaths bring the total number of overdoses linked to the synthetic substance to six. Although alcohol was present with 7-OH in many fatal overdoses, as well as other drugs and sometimes illicit substances, the deceased were “generally in good health,” officials said.
Retailers are urged to immediately stop selling any 7-OH products, which are not legally marketed in the United States as a drug product, dietary supplement, or food additive.
“Kratom and 7-OH products are marketed as natural remedies and are sold illegally at gas stations, smoke shops, online and other retailers. It is important for the community to understand that these products are dangerous and can lead to fatal overdoses,” said Dr. Gary Tsai, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Office of Substance Abuse Prevention and Control. “Avoid the use of 7-OH and kratom-related products completely.”
Tsai also warned anyone using 7-OH to use it alone and avoid mixing 7-OH with other drugs and alcohol. In the event of an overdose, naloxone may be used to reverse the effects of opioids, including 7-OH.
About 7-OH Products and Kratom
7-OH, the psychoactive component in kratom leaves, is synthetically concentrated in several products sold at gas stations, smoke shops and other retail locations and online in Los Angeles County, officials said.
At low doses, 7-OH can have stimulant-like effects, but at high doses, it has opioid-like effects.
They are unregulated and often labeled with terms such as “plant alkaloids” or “alkaloids” and are marketed as dietary supplements to treat a wide range of issues such as pain, anxiety, mood disorders, opioid withdrawal, or general energy/well-being.
The products come in various forms, such as tablets, gummies, drink mixes, concentrated liquid extracts (“enhanced” or “super”) or drinking doses, which greatly increase their harmful and life-threatening effects.