WASHINGTON, April 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The American Kratom Association (AKA) released a response to the CDC report on kratom being detected by medical examiners and coroners in 91 toxicology records.  The rebuttal to the CDC report was authored by 5 independent experts who are recognized for their work in substance abuse and addiction issues, and each affirmed that the media headlines reported in the CDC analysis misstated the actual conclusions of that report.

A copy of the report can be found at http://www.americankratom.org/images/Reply_to_CDC_-_Unintentional_Drug_Overdose_Deaths_with_Kratom_Detected.pdf

“The CDC report supports the AKA position that more regulations need to be in place to deny market access to unscrupulous bad actors who spike natural kratom with dangerous adulterants, including fentanyl, heroine, and morphine,” stated Dave Herman, Chairman of the AKA.  “The CDC report also supports the AKA position that medical examiners and coroners are reporting ONLY that they have detected kratom in toxicology reports, and they often incorrectly report that kratom was involved in or the actual cause of death.”

The five independent experts concluded in their report that the CDC data does not report whether the decedents ingested pure, unadulterated kratom in conjunction with dangerous substances or used an adulterated kratom product. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has documented that polydrug use or adulterated kratom product deaths are properly attributable to the toxicity of the multiplicity of co-consumed drugs or adulterants present whether intentionally consumed as a consequence of an individual’s addiction or the result of unknowingly using a product adulterated with a toxic dose of a dangerous substance.

“It grossly misleads the public and the millions of kratom users in the United States,” said Herman.  “We need evidence to document the danger of any substance, and right now the FDA is inflaming anti-kratom rhetoric with false information, deliberate overstatements of the facts, and conclusions about kratom that are unsupportable with any credible science.”

The independent report concluded that the consequences of inaccurate data on kratom-associated deaths clearly has contributed to the FDA’s persistent attacks on kratom; the decisions of 6 states who have banned kratom; the decision by some local jurisdictions to impose local bans on kratom; and the rampant misinformation disseminated to the public about the alleged risks of kratom use.

“The AKA is working hard with the states to enact responsible regulation to prevent adulteration and ensure kratom consumers have good labels, so they know they are purchasing a pure kratom product,” concluded Herman.

ABOUT AKA
The American Kratom Association (AKA), a consumer-based non-profit organization, is here to set the record straight about kratom and give a voice to those who are suffering and protect their rights to possess and consume kratom. AKA represents tens of thousands of Americans, each of whom have a unique story to tell about the virtues of kratom and its positive effects on their lives. www.americankratom.org

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SOURCE American Kratom Association