Thousands of calls to poison centers. Seizures, vomiting, agitation – and deaths. The industry calls these "misinterpreted." We call them a public health emergency.
The following tables come from America's Poison Centers® NPDS Annual Reports. These are not estimates – they are documented calls from frantic parents, terrified users, and medical personnel. The industry wants you to believe these are "anecdotes." They are evidence.
The industry's mantra: "Most calls are mild." But every call represents a person in crisis – and the numbers are rising.
| Year | Total Cases | Single‑Substance | Pediatric <20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1,357 | 885 | 102 |
| 2020 | 1,262 | 794 | 103 |
| 2021 | 1,524 | 948 | 139 |
| 2022 | 1,278 | 794 | 107 |
| 2023 | 1,489 | 880 | 106 |
| 2024 | 1,645 | 1,027 | 149 |
| Year | <5 yrs | 6–12 yrs | 13–19 yrs | Total Pediatrics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 60 | 3 | 39 | 102 |
| 2020 | 63 | 5 | 35 | 103 |
| 2021 | 91 | 5 | 43 | 139 |
| 2022 | 67 | 3 | 37 | 107 |
| 2023 | 71 | 3 | 32 | 106 |
| 2024 | 107 | 6 | 37 | 150 |
Children under five are the largest pediatric group – 107 cases in 2024 alone. These are babies who got into packages sold without child-resistant caps, marketed like candy. The industry says "keep it out of reach." We say: if it sends toddlers to the ER, it shouldn't be sold at all.
| Year | Adults ≥20 | Intentional |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 733 | 540 |
| 2020 | 637 | 513 |
| 2021 | 741 | 588 |
| 2022 | 586 | 497 |
| 2023 | 723 | 519 |
| 2024 | 820 | 608 |
Intentional exposures mean people took kratom deliberately – and then needed emergency help. The industry calls this "consumer misuse." We call it a product with no predictable dose, no warning label, and no oversight.
| Year | HCF Treated | None | Minor | Moderate | Major | Death |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 713 | 63 | 203 | 275 | 78 | 3 |
| 2020 | 614 | 59 | 175 | 259 | 66 | 5 |
| 2021 | 712 | 69 | 213 | 305 | 67 | 4 |
| 2022 | 586 | 66 | 167 | 248 | 55 | 3 |
| 2023 | 671 | 60 | 184 | 305 | 70 | 5 |
| 2024 | 803 | 92 | 233 | 332 | 76 | 7 |
The industry says "kratom helps people quit opioids." But here, people are calling poison centers because they can't quit kratom.
Exposures in toddlers hit a record high in 2024 (107 cases). The industry calls these "accidental ingestions" – as if that makes it acceptable. When a product is sold in gas stations, in unsecured packages, next to candy, children will find it. The only way to protect them is to remove the product from retail shelves.
Industry lie: "Most exposures are mild."
Truth: In 2023, 57.6% of single-substance cases had moderate, major, or fatal outcomes. That's not mild – that's a public health crisis.
Industry lie: "These are just calls, not real harm."
Truth: Every call represents a person in enough distress that someone dialed a poison center. Many required hospital admission.
Industry lie: "Kratom is safer than coffee."
Truth: Coffee doesn't send 800 people a year to the hospital. Kratom does.