Utah Officials Investigate Deaths Linked to Potentially Deadly Mislabeled Kratom Products
Authorities are probing manufacturers of powerful semi-synthetic kratom drugs deceptively marketed as herbal supplements, following four recent fatalities.
Four individuals have recently died in Utah after consuming potent, semi-synthetic kratom drugs, state officials announced. The Utah Poison Control Center confirmed that the deaths, which occurred over the past four months, were linked to chemicals—mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MGPI) and dihydro-7-hydroxymitragynine (MGM-15)—found in kratom-derived products often labeled as herbal supplements.
These compounds are described as powerful semi-synthetic kratom substances that can lead to severe withdrawal, overdose, and death, according to the Utah Poison Control Center. State and law enforcement agencies, in conjunction with the FDA, are now investigating the companies responsible for these products, which were sold at various retail locations including smoke shops and gas stations and sometimes advertised as “kratom-free” alternatives.
Kratom, a plant used in traditional Asian medicine, is being processed by manufacturers into more potent, opioid-like substances often dubbed “gas station heroin.” These products are available both online and in physical stores. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services specifically warned about products named “Buzzers,” which are marketed as a “proprietary blend of botanical extracts.” Dr. Michael Moss, medical director of the Utah Poison Control Center, stated that one of the four fatalities was linked to a Buzzers product. However, Exo Club, the manufacturer of Buzzers, maintains that their product does not contain kratom or common kratom compounds.
Utah enacted a ban on the sale of kratom extracts and products containing semi-synthetic kratom compounds in May. Despite this, the state’s health department cautioned that such products might still be accessible in some stores.
This development follows closely behind incidents in Mississippi, where two University of Mississippi students died of suspected overdoses on the same night, with kratom products found nearby in both cases. One student had reportedly purchased a product called Smax Pseudo-DHM, a chewable form of the herbal supplement, from a store that was later raided. The other student was found with a packet of Smax on his nightstand. Both products are illegal to sell in Mississippi.