Understanding Kratom: A Growing Risk for Teens

Kratom has become increasingly common among high school and college students, often promoted as a natural way to stay awake, manage stress, or ease anxiety. It comes from the leaves of a Southeast Asian tree and is usually sold as a powder that can be swallowed in capsules or brewed into tea. Even though it’s plant‑based and legal in many places, kratom can be addictive.

Why teens are drawn to kratom

The effects of kratom depend on the dose:

• Low doses act like a stimulant, similar to ADHD medications.

• Higher doses behave like opioids, creating euphoria or sedation.

Because it’s easy to buy online or in smoke shops — and doesn’t require a prescription — many teens assume it’s safe. Some believe it helps with anxiety, chronic pain, or even medical conditions like diabetes. Others use it hoping it will ease opioid withdrawal. But none of these claims have been proven in controlled human studies.

Kratom contains dozens of active compounds, some still unidentified. This makes its effects unpredictable and its addiction difficult to treat. It also typically does not appear on standard drug tests, which increases its appeal for teens.

How kratom shows up in student life

Clinicians report that kratom is now widely available in places teens frequent. Students often start using it to stay awake for studying or to manage stress. But once they experience the opioid‑like effects, dependence can develop quickly.

What begins as a “study helper” can turn into something a teen feels they need just to function.

What’s actually in kratom?

Kratom is sold as powders, capsules, and teas. Some states even have cafés or “kratom bars.”

Two of the main compounds — mitragynine and 7‑α‑hydroxymitragynine — interact with opioid receptors in the brain. This can create pleasurable effects but also leads to tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal.

Because kratom is not regulated by the FDA, there’s no guarantee of purity or potency. In fact, FDA testing has found lead, nickel, and other contaminants in some kratom products.

Why kratom addiction is hard to treat

Addiction specialists are seeing more teens struggling with kratom dependence. One major challenge is that kratom doesn’t act like a single drug. It contains multiple active substances — some with stimulant effects, some with opioid‑like effects, and others that may mimic anti‑anxiety medications.

This mix means that standard treatments for opioid withdrawal don’t always work. Teens withdrawing from kratom may experience intense anxiety or discomfort even when given medications that typically help with opioid addiction.

Regulation: a complicated issue

Experts disagree on how kratom should be handled legally.

• Making it fully illegal could harm people who use it to manage opioid withdrawal.

• Leaving it unregulated allows teens easy access to a substance with real addiction risks.

Some clinicians believe kratom should be classified as a Schedule II drug, meaning it has medical uses but also a high potential for abuse. This would allow healthcare providers to prescribe it in controlled, standardized doses.

What parents should know

Kratom’s legal status and easy availability make it especially tricky for parents to detect. Many families don’t realize their teen is using it until problems appear.

Possible signs of kratom use or withdrawal include:

• Runny nose

• Muscle aches

• Joint or bone pain

• Jerky or restless movements

• Mood swings

• Depression or anxiety

• Irritability

• Tremors, chills, sweating

• Pinpoint pupils or goosebumps (similar to opioid withdrawal)

How to talk to your teen

If you think your teen might be using kratom, start with an open, non‑judgmental conversation. Ask what they feel kratom does for them and explore healthier ways to manage stress, anxiety, or academic pressure.

If your teen struggles to stop using kratom or experiences withdrawal symptoms, it’s important to seek an evaluation from an addiction specialist. Open communication is key — focusing only on “catching” a teen using substances often pushes the behavior underground rather than addressing the underlying need.

References

These sources provide scientific, regulatory, and clinical information consistent with the material summarized in the rewritten article:

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

   
   

   FDA and Kratom.

   
   

   https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-kratom (fda.gov in Bing)

2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

   
   

   Laboratory analysis of kratom products for heavy metals (2019).

   
   

   https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters (fda.gov in Bing)

3. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

   
   

   Kratom DrugFacts.

   
   

   https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/kratom (nida.nih.gov in Bing)

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

   
   

   Kratom exposures and health effects.

   
   

   https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6814a2.htm (cdc.gov in Bing)

5. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

   
   

   Drug Scheduling and Controlled Substances.

   
   

   https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling (dea.gov in Bing)

6. Prozialeck, W.C. (2016).

   
   

   Update on the pharmacology and toxicology of kratom.

   
   

   Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.

7. Coe, M.A., Pillitteri, J.L., Sembower, M.A., Gerlach, K.K., & Henningfield, J.E. (2019).

   
   

   Kratom as a substitute for opioids: User experiences and science review.