23 June 2023
RENO COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — Reno County has issued a health alert over several recent overdose deaths. The Reno County Health Department says the problem is kratom and kratom-based products.
The department has been tracking overdoses and trends since October 2021. In the last six months, it says there have been three deaths involving kratom in the county.
Kratom is an herbal extract that comes from an evergreen tree in Southeast Asia.
It can either give stimulant-like effects or opioid- or sedative-like effects. Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse say the effects can vary depending on a number of things, including the potency and how the kratom is ingested.
Scientists say kratom products vary, and some of the products have contaminants, so the effects are difficult to predict.
The Reno County Health Department said kratom products are legal in many areas. However, the U.S. and international agencies are reviewing kratom.
The department says naloxone products, such as Narcan, can temporarily reverse the effects of a kratom overdose.
The Reno Recovery Collaborative recommends the following steps and strategies for the community:
Naloxone (Narcan) education, training, and availability
Encourage more people to carry naloxone (Narcan)
Encourage members of our community who use substances to never use alone
Check on friends or family who regularly use substances
Reno Recovery Collaborative’s website has a dashboard that shows the number of overdoses, naloxone uses, fatalities, and more.
The Reno County Health Department also recommends these resources:
Click here to find a treatment facility
National treatment line: 1-800-662-4357
Never Use Alone Hotline: 1-800-484-3731
Kansas Substance Use Disorder Treatment Referral line: 1-866-645-8216
Kansas Recovery Network: harm reduction services and peer navigation
Crossover Recovery: 620-669-9024
SACK Detox Unit: 620-259-2063
Breakthru: 620-218-0636
Recovery Response Team: 620-663-7595
Crisis Line: 1-800-794-0163
Reno ASAP Alcohol and Drug Services: 620-665-6446
Horizons Mental Health – phone: 620-663-7595
PrairieStar Health Center – phone: 620-663-8484