WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Kratom Association (AKA) issued a Consumer Advisory in response to recent wrongful death jury awards in Florida and elsewhere:

1. The American Kratom Association urges the FDA to immediately publish product manufacturing standards for kratom products that are sold to consumers and encourages the removal of kratom products that do not contain adequate labeling with recommended serving sizes, product ingredients and appropriate warnings on conditions of use.

2. Until the FDA implements a set of standards to protect consumers, the AKA advises kratom consumers not to purchase or consume kratom products that:

a. Have not been certified by an independent third-party lab to be free of dangerous contaminants or that contain adulterants that could be dangerous to consume.

b. Are offered for sale from a vendor that markets its product with illegal therapeutic claims.

c. Do not contain the name of the product distributor so that a consumer can file an adverse event report if required.

d. Are delivered in unprofessional packaging, such as zip-close bags, or that have handwritten product information.

“Recent reports of product liability awards for irresponsibly manufactured or marketed kratom products are the direct result of the FDA’s failure to regulate the kratom marketplace and, in some cases, the exploitive behavior of trial attorneys who do nothing to compel the FDA to act responsibly,” said Mac Haddow, the AKA’s Senior Fellow on Public Policy.

Based on the AKA’s review of litigation reports, the product liability awards by the courts have been based on the failure of the product manufacturers to provide labeling instructions for responsible use and little or no information on the contents of the potentially adulterated products, according to Haddow.

“The safety and addiction profile of pure, unadulterated kratom is well-documented by science and there is no known level of kratom use that would cause any fatality unless it is irresponsibly consumed, adulterated with a toxic drug or used concurrently with a deadly drug substance,” Haddow added. “The AKA supports congressional action to compel the FDA to develop and implement a set of standards for the manufacturing and marketing of kratom products to protect consumers in the United States.”

ABOUT AKA

The American Kratom Association (AKA), a consumer-based, nonprofit organization, focuses on setting the record straight about kratom and gives a voice to those who are suffering by protecting their rights to possess and consume safe and natural kratom. AKA represents millions of Americans, each of whom has a unique story to tell about the virtues of kratom and its positive effects on their lives.

For more information, visit www.AmericanKratom.org, www.Kratomanswers.org or www.Protectkratom.org. Follow them on Twitter (@TheKratomAssn), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Americankratomassociation/) or Instagram (American_kratom_assoc).

Mac Haddow is the Senior Fellow on Public Policy for the American Kratom Association.