LAKELAND, Fla. — Officials are warning young people about the risks of an opioid-related ingredient increasingly added to energy drinks.
In her 25 years with InnerAct Alliance, a youth substance abuse prevention organization, Angie Ellison has witnessed the emergence of various drugs.
WATCH: Experts raising awareness on addiction associated with energy drinks containing Kratom
“We watch those things and try to let the community know about them because when it starts with college kids, it trickles down to high school and middle school,” said Ellison.
Ellison said energy drinks made with the synthetic form of kratom, known as 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) are now widely available at gas stations, smoke shops and online.
“We’re just trying to make sure that everybody is aware of it, especially parents. Because a lot of times those drinks just look like maybe something to help you stay awake, but it could have very addictive traits to it,” said Ellison.
Natural kratom leaf products have gained popularity in the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. Doctors say the synthetic form of kratom triggers the same brain receptors as opioid drugs like heroin and fentanyl.
“It is a substance that can be dangerous when taken too much. It can cause dependence and addiction and when stopped, it can cause a pretty serious withdrawal syndrome,” said Dr. Eric Shamas, ER physician with Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital.
At the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, they are seeing more college students experiencing withdrawal from the kratom byproduct.
“They get told to buy this kratom energy drink because it helped me get through studying for the finals. They start drinking it and then they get hooked. That's when we find out it wasn’t containing natural kratom,” said Cameron Pelzel, community paramedic manager for Crisis Center of TampaBay.
Although Florida has recently made it illegal to sell 7-OH products, Pelzel said the ingredient can still be found in energy drinks, gummies and supplements.
“A lot of manufacturers are finding other synthetic compounds that mimic the 7-OH part, and they are adding it into it to get passed all the loopholes in the legal system so they can keep people buying these drinks. So we’re getting a lot of people that are solely addicted to it,” Pelzel said.
The Food and Drug Administration is recommending that the synthetic ingredient be placed on the federal government’s most restrictive list of illegal drugs.
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