Media has created a firestorm around kratom, even though there is no evidence kratom had anything to do with the September 21 death of two students at the University of Mississippi. Multiple media outlets incorrectly reported that “kratom packages” were found near the bodies of both students. This turned out not to be true. Police did find a product containing mitragynine-pseudoindoxyl and MGM-15, both molecules recently classified as Schedule I by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Kratom, defined as leaf material from the kratom tree, was not found on the scene.
Major networks ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN all have run advertisements for Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser, Michelob ULTRA, Advil/Pfizer, Tylenol/Kenvue, and Aleve/Bayer and while featuring less-than-accurate kratom coverage. But two networks ran multiple, particularly vitriolic and sensationalist stories on kratom in response to the news, painting kratom as dangerous and deadly in what seemed to be a full-fledged “Reefer Madness”-style propaganda campaign. These networks also receive millions of dollars advertising alcohol, NSAIDs, and acetaminophen, all products that have been proven to be dangerous and deadly.
Here is a partial rundown of kratom coverage and a list of companies from which Fox News and Newsmax collect ad revenue:
Fox News Partial List of Kratom Scare Coverage
- Jessica Steinman, addiction expert — Sept. 23: “It can cause them to be overly sedated, it can slow down their breathing and general function of their lungs.” “That’s when it can become lethal,” referring to combining kratom with multiple substances such as alcohol, marijuana or benzodiazepines.
- Harris Faulkner / Madison Scarpino — Sept. 23: Fox described kratom as “gas station heroin” while reporting on the two Ole Miss deaths. The report said police found kratom at both scenes, although kratom had not been confirmed as the cause of either death.
- Fox News Digital — Sept. 23: Fox reported that experts warn kratom can cause “dependence, dangerous interactions and other serious health complications.”
- Laura Ingraham, “The Ingraham Angle” — Sept. 24: “This has got to be banned.”
- Will Cain, “The Will Cain Show” — Sept. 24: Cain discussed “the concerns of Kratom products” following the two Ole Miss deaths. Fox titled the segment “Kratom safety questioned after deaths of 2 Ole Miss students.”
- Harris Faulkner / Dr. Jessica Gray, “Outnumbered” — Sept. 24: Gray discussed the “severe risks” of kratom.
- Lawrence Jones / Derek Maltz — Sept. 24: Former acting DEA administrator Derek Maltz discussed “the dangers associated with kratom” following the Ole Miss deaths.
- Robyn Tannehill, Oxford mayor — Sept. 26: “To take kratom is really rolling the dice on death.” She also called it a dangerous substance.
- Tia Rustici, “Fox & Friends Weekend” — Sept. 26: Rustici described kratom as a “dangerous substance” while discussing her daughter’s death.
- Dr. Michelle DuPre — Sept. 27: The former medical examiner discussed “the dangers of the herbal supplement Kratom” and its health risks.
- Fox News — Sept. 27: “States look to ban Kratom after Ole Miss deaths.” The segment focused on the possibility of states banning kratom and discussed its alleged dangers and health risks.
- “The Faulkner Focus” — Sept. 29: Fox discussed the “dangers of kratom-like substances” and concentrated/synthetic products in connection with the Ole Miss investigation.
- “Fox & Friends” — Oct. 1: Eva Neeleman called for a ban on synthetic kratom and discussed “the dangers of these unregulated products.”
- “Fox & Friends First” — Oct. 1: Fox reported “growing concerns over the use of the herbal supplement kratom” following the Ole Miss deaths.
- Fox News — Oct. 2: Fox warned viewers about the “deadly dangers of synthetic Kratom products.”
- Fox News — Oct. 2: “Mississippi officials warn of dangers posed by synthetic kratom.” The segment focused specifically on the dangers of synthetic kratom.
- Fox News — Oct. 2: “Gas station owner denies selling pills found near Ole Miss student’s body.” Fox reported that federal agents seized the store’s kratom inventory during the investigation.
- “Fox & Friends Weekend” — Oct. 3: Fox discussed “growing concerns about kratom” following the two Ole Miss deaths.
Newsmax Partial List of Kratom Scare Coverage
- Sept. 23: “Kratom Cases Climb Sharply Across the US.” Newsmax reported that addiction-treatment centers were seeing a sharp increase in patients dependent on kratom. Dr. Ayesha Appa called the increase “quite an explosion,” while also reporting that patients can experience “incredibly severe opioid withdrawal” from products marketed as wellness.
- Sept. 24: “Ole Miss Student Deaths Spotlight Kratom.” Newsmax reported that Mississippi authorities were urging people to avoid kratom following the discovery of “kratom” packages during the investigation, though it turned out kratom was not found at the scene. The report said the FDA warns of “serious adverse effects, including liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder.” The report says North Dakota had recorded 50 deaths “associated with kratom” since 2019, and describes the state’s action as part of a response to a declared kratom public-health crisis. It also reported that kratom has been associated with deaths in rare cases, although usually in combination with other drugs. The report quoted Mississippi’s drug task force telling people: “Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage everyone to avoid kratom and any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source” though kratom, again, was not found at the scene. The report noted that the FDA webpage says “Don’t use it,” and reported FDA warnings about liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder. It also noted that the contribution of kratom in reported deaths is unclear.
- Sept. 26: Newsmax anchor Greta Van Susteren tweeted “Kratom is dangerous and sold many places, including gas stations. It needs to be regulated (or banned.) Congress can do that and skip the long steps through DEA,HHS,FDA…”
