There is documented proof and numerous studies and statistics confirming that hundreds of thousands have died due to opioids including numerous prescription drugs. As cited on the FCC website Connect2Health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
By comparison, as stated on the National Institute on Drug Abuse website (https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/kratom#safe):
"A very small number of deaths have been linked to kratom products compared to deaths from other drugs. While more research is needed, it appears that fatal overdose from kratom use alone is extremely rare. A 2019 report found that 11 deaths between 2011 and 2017 in the United States were associated with kratom exposure, including two deaths associated with kratom exposure alone. In contrast, during that same period, more than 200,000 people died from opioid-related overdose."
Another study cited by National Library of Medicine, was the Frontiers of Psychiatry website: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1332999/full
Methods: This study investigated coroner autopsy reports from Kern County in California for the year 2020 which included qualitative data on substances from blood toxicological reports. Of the 214 opioid-associated accidental overdoses reported, 4 subjects (1.9%) had mitragynine (kratom) exposure on the autopsy report and were included in the study. We reported available demographic information and comorbid substance findings from the associated autopsy reports.
Results: All 4 individuals with mitragynine (kratom) toxicology had accidental opioid overdose deaths noted in autopsy reports. Each subject also had toxicology positive for at least one other substance. Fentanyl was found in 3 (75%) of the cases and suspected to be the primary contributor to opioid-related deaths in those cases. However, one fatality was without fentanyl, but instead had tested positive for benzodiazepines, cannabis, and other psychiatric medications.
Deaths from alcohol related auto accidents alone accounts for several thousand times the small number of kratom related deaths (the overwhelming majority of which also included addictive synthetic Opioids and other substances).
The irony of this petition of regulatory action against Kratom, is that it has been brought forward by individuals and organizations that profit from the sale of prescription opioids.
I have friends whose lives have been changed for the better by the use of Kratom, enabling them to break their addition to prescription opioids for the control of pain.
Banning this natural plant solution to pain management and for other beneficial uses will force people to go back to prescription opioids (and non-prescription opioids) resulting in significantly more deaths, ruined lives, and hundreds of millions of dollars in additional public and private healthcare costs.
Please allow natural plant options to remain available in your state. You have constituents that depend upon Kratom and other non-addictive plant options to lead, normal productive lives.