Mother Fleeing the US After Her 21-Year-Old Son Is Hooked on a Terrifying New Gas-Station Drug
An Arizona family is packing their bags and fleeing the US after their son got addicted to a mysterious gas station drug. His mother, who chose not to be identified, told Arizona Family that her 21-year-old was recommended the so-called synthetic opioid by a friend. 'He was having some issues with anxiety and a friend told him about it,' she told the outlet. Her son knew that the drug may have had some addictive qualities. 7-OH targets the same brain receptors as opioids. Some have called it the next wave of the opioid epidemic, per VCU. 'He could struggle with opioid addiction for the rest of his life,' she told the outlet.
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Arizona Family Faces Leaving the Country as Son Becomes Addicted to 7-OH
An Arizona family is packing their bags and fleeing the US after their son got addicted to a mysterious gas station drug. 7-Hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH is sold over the counter at gas stations, brick and mortar stores, and vape shops. The over-the-counter supplements can be found in powder, candy, pill, tea, or energy shot form. In many cases the misleading products are marked as 'all-natural.' Kratom products are being sold at gas stations and vape shops across the country. Kratom comes from a South Asian tree, whose leaves are used to create the over the counter products. Kratom comes from a tree in Southeast Asia known as Kratom. The leaves are used to create over the counter medication that treats anxiety, depression, diarrhea, pain, and cough according to the FDA.
Kratom and 7-OH: Over-the-Counter Products Marked as All-Natural
The concerned mother explained that the family was working every day to keep their son off of drugs. They hope to escape access to the product that caused their sons addiction. Kratom products are being sold at gas stations and vape shops across the country. Kratom comes from a South Asian tree, whose leaves are used to create the over the counter products. It comes from a tree in Southeast Asia known as Kratom. The leaves are used to create over the counter medication that treats anxiety, depression, diarrhea, pain, and cough according to the FDA.
Arizona AG Kris Mayes Warns That 7-OH Is Dangerous and Cracks Down
'These products are really dangerous and basically act like synthetic opioids, and I have already heard from parents whose kids have become addicted to these products sold over the counter across the state,' Mayes explained in a statement. Arizona AG Kris Mayes has issued a crackdown on the 7-OH. Products known at 7-OH have been referred to as 'legal morphine' or 'gas station heroin'. Arizona's Kratom Consumer Protection Act aims to keep dangerous, kratom-laced products off of the shelves. It stops retailers from selling non-kratom products laced with kratom and kratom products laced with 'harmful' non-kratom substances. Mayes also issued a crackdown on retailers that sell Kratom products to customers who are under the age of 18. 'My office is aware of multiple cases where kratom products have been sold to minors in violation of state law and we are working to hold these bad actors accountable,' she said. 'But law enforcement needs stronger tools to effectively combat this growing problem.'
Officials Scramble to Track Down 7-OH's Source as Kratom-Linked Cases Surge
State leaders are still trying to figure out where the product is being sold in order to get to the root of the issue. Banner Poison Control reported that cases involving Kratom have more than doubled from last year. Kratom abuse can lead to psychotic symptoms as well as psychological and physiological independence, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration. It can cause anorexia, weight loss, insomnia, seizures, and hallucinations. The Daily Mail contacted AG Mayes and the DEA for comment.
