Kratom Killed My Son
Ask almost any adult about a substance called kratom, and the vast majority will shrug their shoulders. But far more teens and young adults will recognize the name. In fact, they may be ingesting it without even knowing that it’s as highly addictive as opiates and as staggeringly difficult to quit as heroin. Kratom, which NBC News recently called “gas station heroin,” has been out there for about 10 years but has become wildly popular more recently, lying dangerously under the radar for older adults, even as more young people begin to use it.
Kratom is an extract from a tropical evergreen tree in Southeast Asia. Indigenous people chewed the leaves but didn’t swallow them. They also brewed tea with kratom, removing the sediment before drinking. Field workers there used kratom for a jolt of energy so they would work more productively.
Kratom supporters call it a “healthy energy enhancer,” but it is in fact highly addictive with a long list of dangers including delusions, severe liver damage, heart attacks and, in extreme cases, death.
Today’s gas station kratom is made from leaves that are compressed into a dense powder, increasing its effects significantly. At low doses, it’s used to boost energy — but at high doses, it has a sedating effect. Kratom is a $1.5 billion industry now, and it’s everywhere.
The potent green powder is packaged and sold as tea, gel capsules, gummies, fruit-flavored energy drinks, liquid extracts and honey sticks. You can buy these at most gas stations or quick-stop shops or even online. This is despite the fact that kratom is not federally regulated as a supplement or drug, and there are no Food and Drug Administration-approved uses for it.
So how did kratom stay under the radar?
“It was considered an herbal supplement before its dangers were uncovered,” says Steve Dercole, an outpatient clinician at Conifer Park detox services in Glens Falls. “We still don’t know what’s in those capsules. There are no disclaimers. It’s just a free-for-all right now.”
Kratom affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine, exposing users to high risks of addiction, abuse and dependence. It has opiate and stimulant effects on users who, in initial small doses, may experience increased alertness, energy and chattiness.
However, within a short period of time, users will begin to experience significant withdrawal side effects, including crushing stomach cramps, jerky movements of the limbs, migraines, tremors, insomnia, hot flashes, anger and aggression.
In higher doses, kratom can cause hallucinations, insomnia, high blood pressure, sweating, vomiting, anxiety and seizures. Other long-term side effects are difficulty breathing, choking, asphyxiation and, in extreme cases, death.
Kratom isn’t easy to kick. It can take weeks or months for frequent users to withdraw from it.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in 2017 placed kratom on its Drugs and Chemicals of Concern List, which includes substances that are not controlled under the Controlled Substances Act but pose potential risks for abuse, addiction or public health.
With federal safeguards stalled, some U.S. states have taken matters into their own hands. Kratom is banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. New York state lawmakers are considering prohibiting sales to people under 21 and requiring warning labels on kratom products.
“Addiction is in a downward spiral,” says addiction counselor Kurt Brown of Albany. “Something has to be done, and fast.”
I know firsthand the gut punch kratom can deliver. Just about six months ago, kratom side effects took the life of my 27-year-old son, Nickolas Scribner.
Nick was a gifted, confident young man with a great job as an electrician for Saratoga County and a bright future ahead. He was extremely close to his 29-year-old brother Ryan, who was his next-door neighbor.
But Nick could not sleep, plagued with insomnia since he was a child. We saw a specialist who wrote a prescription for an anti-anxiety med.
Then, in a tragic turn of events, a friend mentioned an “all-natural plant-based herb” that would keep him alert during the day. Nick decided a natural remedy was safer than a pharmaceutical drug and made his first kratom purchase.
For the first few months, Nick experienced less grogginess.
But within the first year, Nick had to increase his kratom use. Since there are no recommended dosages, I had no idea how much he was taking.
Nick did not smoke, drink alcohol or use recreational or prescribed medicines. It was all about kratom.
Ironically, long-term use of kratom causes insomnia. A young man seeking sleep was deprived of it, even as he showed up for family events, birthdays and holidays, laughed at jokes, and played with dogs.
Two common kratom side effects, vomiting and catatonic sleep, collided on the night of November 17, 2024. It was the perfect storm. Nick began to wretch, and was in such deep sleep, he was unable to turn to his side. He died from asphyxiation.
His brother found him, already cold, eight hours later. Our family is gutted. Nick was my youngest and showed so much potential.
There are words to describe women: single, divorced, widowed, but there is only one word to describe a mother that’s lost a child: empty.
Editor’s Note: Cari Scribner, a longtime contributor to this magazine, shares the powerful and deeply personal story of losing her 27-year-old son, Nickolas, to kratom. Often sold in gas stations and convenience stores and marketed as a harmless herbal supplement, kratom can be dangerously addictive. Cari’s story is a wake-up call for families, educators and lawmakers alike — and a critical look at the urgent need for awareness and regulation.
Top image source: Africa images, via canva.com
