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OD victim’s mother calls for further restrictions
A Chanhassen woman is calling for increased restrictions on kratom in Minnesota after her son died from an opioid overdose. FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni explains.
CHANHASSEN, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Chanhassen woman is calling for tighter rules on kratom and 7-OH after losing her son to an opioid overdose.
Mother pushes for kratom regulation after son’s overdose
What we know:
After a years-long battle with opioid addiction, Colleen Ronnei’s son Luke died of a heroin overdose in 2016. He was 20.
His addiction started with prescription medication, which led to him using heroin, she said.
"The train came off the tracks," she recalled.
After his death, she started a nonprofit called "Change the Outcome" to educate young people about the dangers of opioids.
She later learned about kratom and 7-OH. Neither is an opioid, but some use them to get off opioids.
Both have serious risks, doctors warned.
Kratom, an herbal supplement, is sold at many gas stations and smoke shops, and while some use it to treat anxiety or pain, the Food and Drug Administration warns against it due to the risk of addiction and, in rare cases, death.
Doctors’ concerns and legislative action: "This is just such a danger"
What they're saying:
"This is just such a danger. We are not just having deaths; we are having significant morbidity," said Dr. Kurt DeVine, an addiction physician in St. Cloud, who noted that he has seen more patients recently who took kratom or 7-OH, which he says is especially dangerous.
"I was giving her enormous doses of Suboxone to try and get her out of withdrawal, and she was in bed for three days trying to come out of this. It was horrific," he said, recalling a patient’s experience.
State lawmakers are now considering bills that would regulate kratom and 7-OH. Options include raising the minimum purchase age from 18 to 21 or making it a Schedule II controlled substance, which would require a prescription to buy. The measures have bipartisan support.
"We have a golden opportunity. For once, could we please get ahead of an issue?" asked Ronnei.