Psychiatric News (10/27) reports the APA’s latest Healthy Minds poll found that just 19% of Americans are familiar with kratom. Nevertheless, “America’s Poison Centers have noted that reports of kratom exposure are increasing across the country: 1,690 kratom-related cases were logged in the first seven months of 2025, more than the entirety of 2024.” The FDA in recent months has “taken steps toward banning certain forms of kratom, sent a warning letter about the substance to clinicians, and announced early steps toward federal regulation. Several states have already banned kratom and/or its psychoactive chemicals, while others have placed restrictions on its purchase.” Meanwhile, the poll “also asked about other unregulated substances marketed for mental health purposes, including kava, blue lotus, wild lettuce, salvia, mugwort, and yohimbe. Less than 8% of those polled were very familiar with any of these.” APA President Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera, MD, said in a statement, “It’s alarming that substances with addictive potential such as kratom are widely available and sold in convenience stores.”
Related Links:
— “Most Americans Don’t Know What Kratom Is, Poll Finds, Psychiatric News, October 27, 2025