The Stop Gas Station Heroin coalition is sounding the alarm after several eight-grade students at Saddle Ridge Middle School in Walker County, Georgia, were hospitalized this week after ingesting illegal gummies containing concentrated synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a lab-made opioid up to 13 times stronger than morphine.
Local officials initially described the substance as “kratom,” but the investigation confirmed the gummies contained concentrated synthetic 7-OH, not natural kratom leaf. Across the country, reports of similar poisonings are mounting, revealing the dangerous reality that many products sold as “kratom” are actually chemically manufactured opioids that mimic the dissociative and intoxicating effects of scheduled drugs.
Unlike natural kratom leaf, which contains only trace levels of 7-OH and has been consumed safely for generations in Southeast Asia, concentrated synthetic 7-OH products are chemically manipulated and highly potent, producing opioid-like effects at doses hundreds of times stronger than the natural kratom plant. These lab-made drugs are often sold as candy, drinks, or tablets putting children and teens at serious risk.
“This Georgia incident is not an anomaly. It’s part of a nationwide pattern of children and adults being poisoned by concentrated synthetic 7-OH products disguised as kratom,” said David Bregger, Executive Director of Stop Gas Station Heroin. “The FDA has already acknowledged the danger and called for scheduling. With instances like this occurring across the country every week, it begs the question: when is the DEA going to take action?”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that concentrated synthetic 7-OH is not lawful in dietary supplements or foods and that no FDA-approved drugs contain this compound. Still, these synthetic derivatives remain widely available online and in retail stores, often sold without age verification or ingredient disclosure.
Stop Gas Station Heroin recognizes that this national threat to American health warrants a national response. Without swift federal action, the line between natural wellness products and illicit opioids will remain dangerously blurred and more children will pay the price.
It’s time for the DEA to act. Every day of delay means more poison on store shelves, more victims in hospitals, and more families shattered by concentrated synthetic 7-OH.
To learn more about Stop Gas Station Heroin and its mission, visit stopgasstationheroin.com.
About Stop Gas Station Heroin
Stop Gas Station Heroin is a national coalition that aims to educate consumers about harmful synthetic drugs and advocate for smart regulation that distinguishes between legitimate, natural botanicals and dangerous, synthetic drugs, combined with enforcement of current federal laws around unapproved drugs. To learn more, navigate to stopgasstationheroin.com.
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