- Utah health officials issued an urgent public health warning following four deaths linked to high-potency chemical compounds found in herbal supplements.
- The fatalities involved supplements containing cat's claw and kratom, which can be combined with dangerous synthetic compounds stronger than morphine.
- Neither kratom nor cat's claw is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, yet both remain accessible in smoke shops, gas stations, and convenience stores.
- The public health alert follows the recent deaths of two University of Mississippi students found with packaged kratom, leading to federal drug charges against a local retailer.
- Calls to U.S. poison control centers regarding kratom spiked by 1,200 percent between 2015 and 2025, driving multiple states to enact or propose bans on the substance.
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