What is kratom? Pa. doctors explain the risks of the increasingly popular substance
-
Asia Tabb
aired; August 13, 2026
Kratom is often marketed as a natural or herbal product, but Pennsylvania doctors and toxicology experts say consumers should understand that it can have powerful effects on the brain—and can lead to addiction, serious health problems and even death.
On The Spark, Dr. Robb Bassett, associate medical director of the Poison Control Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Dr. Sara Kawasaki, division director of Addiction Services at Penn State College of Medicine, discussed the growing concerns surrounding kratom and products containing its compounds.
What is kratom?
Kratom is a tropical plant native to Southeast Asia. Its active compounds can act on stimulant and opioid receptors in the brain. Kawasaki says that means the substance can produce euphoria, pain relief and dependence.
“So it actually is an opioid because it acts on the opioid receptors of the brain, which can help with pain sometimes, but it can also create a euphoria and also create dependence.”
Is kratom safe?
Bassett says Poison Control sees people experiencing a range of toxic effects, including altered consciousness, respiratory depression and seizures. In extreme cases, kratom use has been associated with fatalities.
“There is no substance that is 100% without adverse reaction risk… I’m here to tell you that that’s absolutely true with kratom and its derivatives.”
What should parents know about kratom?
Another concern is how easily some kratom products can be purchased, including at gas stations and stores, sometimes in packaging that may appeal to children.
Kawasaki urged parents to understand that being marketed as a supplement or medicine does not mean a product has undergone the same testing as an FDA-approved medication.
“Just because something is marketed as medicinal does not make it medicine.”
For families who discover a teenager is using kratom, Kawasaki says treatment is available and can include medications commonly used to treat opioid use disorder.
“It is an eminently treatable problem,” Kawasaki said. “This can be something that can be easily managed and fixed and cured.”