Three Ohio coroners warn of kratom overdose spike: 'Buyer beware'
Photo: RinPac (file photo)Three coroners in Southwest Ohio warned on Monday that kratom — an unregulated drug sold in stores across the region — is behind a spike in suspected overdoses, with 14 cases in the past several months and five deaths this year.
Kratom, or kratom alkaloids, is a substance commonly used to boost energy and mood or to combat opioid addiction. It is concentrated and sold as pills, powders, drinks and gummies in convenience stores and vape shops. Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco said only the leaf form of the substance is legal in Ohio.
Sammarco, Butler County Coroner Lisa Mannix and Warren County Coroner Russell Uptegrove said they are seeing a trend of falling overdose deaths involving drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine in each of their counties — but they are seeing more kratom.
The numbers tell the story. In 2024, the Hamilton County Crime Lab found kratom in three seizure cases, according to data provided by Sammarco. In 2025, it was not found in any seizure cases. In 2026, kratom was found in 38 seizure cases. There have been three overdose deaths involving kratom in Warren County and two in Butler County in 2026, according to the coroners.
"Buyer beware," Uptegrove said. "Don't do this."
Sammarco warned that the products on store shelves are not what their labels claim. "Don't believe what's on the label. If it isn't that powdered leaf form, be careful," Sammarco said. "Know that it could be lethal." She said different, lethal substances are mixed into kratom products that are not listed on the label.
The warning comes just days after the state issued its own alert. On Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine and Attorney General Andy Wilson warned that some products sold as the herbal supplement cat's claw actually contain illegal synthetic kratom. The bulletin, issued by the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said investigators found a package labeled "Happy Daze Botanical Mango" — advertised as containing 375 milligrams of cat's claw — at the scene of a fatal overdose. Forensic analysis determined the package actually contained synthetic kratom, though toxicology results in the death remain pending.
Ohio has been wrestling with kratom regulation for years. In 2019, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy considered regulating the drug but delayed its decision after a large number of people turned up to support continued access. In December 2025, DeWine asked the board to designate kratom an illegal drug, calling the herbal extract an "imminent public health risk." In May 2026, lawmakers approved a new rule banning synthetic kratom — but the rule does not ban kratom in its vegetative form, including natural kratom leaf and ground natural kratom leaf, according to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
The rise in kratom comes as the broader overdose picture in the region improves. Overdose deaths in Hamilton County have fallen for four years straight. In 2025, there were 195 overdose deaths in the county — the lowest number since at least 2014 and a 66% reduction from the county's peak in 2017, when 567 people died of overdoses.
State officials are asking anyone with a questionable product to report it to the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center by calling 1-833-OHIO-NIC (1-833-644-6642) or submitting a tip through the center's website. Anyone who suspects an overdose should call 911, administer naloxone if available and stay with the person until emergency responders arrive.
Sources: Cincinnati Enquirer, "'Buyer beware.' Cincinnati-area coroners warn of kratom, overdose spike" (Nov. 9, 2026, full text verified); Scioto Valley Guardian, "Ohio warns mislabeled 'cat's claw' supplements contain synthetic kratom tied to fatal overdose" (Nov. 6, 2026, full text verified); Becker's Behavioral Health, "Ohio warns of mislabeled cat's claw supplements containing synthetic kratom" (Nov. 9, 2026); Ohio Governor's Office, "Governor DeWine Calls on Pharmacy Board to Schedule Kratom Compounds as Illegal Drugs" (Dec. 2025). Event date verified: the coroners' warning was issued Monday, November 9, 2026, and confirmed by the Enquirer.
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