The legislation was introduced and shepherded through the legislative process, it says, in memory of Nick Scribner, 27, from the upstate village of Ballston Spa who in 2024 died of respiratory arrest attributed to kratom intoxication. His mother, Cari Scribner, has since become a vocal advocate for reform, warning that kratom's opioid-like effects are not widely known, under-researched, and that the substance is sold in local convenience stores or vape shops with little or no oversight.
Assemblymember McDonald called the bill a first step as New York State continues to consider how kratom will be regulated in the future.
Senator Fahy said: "We've seen kratom use rise in our high schools as it's sold unregulated while more and more of our young people consume this drug without knowing its potentially deadly and dangerous effects."
The statement also included a quote from Mrs. Scribner: "My dear son took something labeled as an all-natural herb, believing it was safe." Her goal, she said, is to warn families about the truth of kratom addiction and the wide spectrum of dangers. No family should go through the overwhelming grief we carry every single day. Kratom is sold in candy flavors. This legislation helps protect the most vulnerable of our community: young people.
The statement also noted that while several local jurisdictions, including Suffolk County, have implemented their own bans or restrictions, kratom has remained widely available statewide.
The warning label bill, sponsored by Phil Steck of Schenectady in the Assembly and Senator James Skoufisof Cornwall in the Senate, directs that on each package of any kratom product sold or delivered by a manufacturer within the state shall be printed a warning of such products lack of federal Food and Drug Administration approval and such products known side effects that may include nausea, agitation, hallucinations, difficulty breathing, liver damage, and death.
Seven states have enacted bans on kratom. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. Nations where it's illegal include Australia, Denmark, Finland, Israel and Japan.
Assemblymember Stern said New York may consider an outright ban going forward.
I queried Google about kratom and the county in which I live asking: Where to buy kratom in Suffolk County, N.Y.? Several pages came back under the heading Here's a quick guide to some reliable spots locals often turn to. It included outlets in Suffolk communities and Online Vendors with Local Delivery. If you'd rather shop from home, some reputable online kratom retailers offer fast shipping to Suffolk County.
Stern said the sale of kratom is now ubiquitous.
Further, he said, drug use today involves deadlier drugs and also kratom is a gateway drug. As to his inspiration for challenging kratom, Stern said it was information from Dr. Jeffrey L. Reynolds, president and CEO of Long Island's Family and Children's Association.
In 2016 the New York Times published an expose headlined Kratom, an Addict's Alternative, Is Found to be Addictive Itself. It began with a 23-year-old Brooklyn native who said: It's preying on the weak and the broken. It's a mind-altering substance, so people like me they think just because it's legal, its fine.
The piece continued: Some users embrace kratom as a natural painkiller and benign substitute for more dangerous substances that, in most states, is legal. But its growing popularity and easy availability are raising concerns among substance abuse experts and government officials who say it is being furtively marketed as a way out of addiction, even though it is itself addictive. Worse, some of those experts say, kratom can lead some addicts back to heroin, which is cheaper and stronger.
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