‘Gas-station heroin:’ What families don't know about kratom

William Travis Steffens

Submitted photo/NOVA ViA

(Arizona Attorney General Kris) Mayes may be pushing to close the enforcement gap in Arizona’s kratom law, but the burden of catching this early falls on the parents, especially since the products are still on shelves across the Valley.”

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OPINION — In December 2025, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes delivered a warning most parents never saw. Products sold as “kratom” or “all-natural” supplements at gas stations, smoke shops and convenience stores across the state, she said, are often laced with concentrated synthetic compounds strong enough to act like street opioids.

These often go by the street names “gas station heroin” or “legal morphine.”

Arizona’s Kratom Consumer Protection Act bans the selling of kratom to anyone under 18 and caps how much of the synthetic compound 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH, a product can legally contain.

Mayes’ office says it’s aware of cases where retailers sold these products to minors, anyway, and has stated that the law, as written, is nearly impossible to enforce. Proving a product is adulterated requires extensive lab testing and expert testimony that most local agencies can’t afford for something that is currently classified as a misdemeanor.

This is why she is asking state lawmakers to close the gap and raise the penalties.

This is why parents need to be extra vigilant.

Kratom isn’t a hypothetical drug that’s a headline in another state. It’s being sold at stores parents drive past every day.

I’ve seen what that looks like up close. Not too long ago, I was at a Valley gas station where a man walked in mid-withdrawal, out of money, asking the clerk to front him a bottle of Feel Free, a 2-ounce kratom-and-kava shot.

After I paid for my own purchase, the clerk told me she sees that scene multiple times a day.

“This stuff is that addictive,” she said.

Why this is landing on convenience-store shelves

Kratom, itself, isn’t new. It’s a plant that’s been sold for years as an energy or mood supplement. What’s changed is the market. Manufacturers have moved from raw leaf products to concentrated extracts and synthetic formulations that hit the brain much harder.

Feel Free has sold more than 130 million servings nationwide and generates more than $250 million a year, enough to outsell traditional energy drinks at some major convenience chains, according to reporting by Fortune and NBC News. 

Calls to the U.S. poison centers about kratom have jumped more than 1,200% over the past decade, climbing from 258 in 2015 to a record 3,434 in 2025, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hospitalizations tied to kratom rose just as sharply over the same amount of time, and the CDC has linked 233 deaths to the substance over the past 10 years, most involving other drugs, as well.

Why teenagers are the ones most at risk

Parents should be concerned about what concentrated kratom does to a brain that isn’t finished developing. The prefrontal cortex, which governs judgment, impulse control and weighing consequences, is still forming into the mid-20s. Kratom’s alkaloids act on the same mu-opioid and dopamine pathways that drive addiction in a brain still under construction.

The worst part is that access doesn’t require a fake ID. Hundreds of websites sell kratom extracts and gummies behind nothing more than a pop-up box asking users to confirm if they are 21 or older. There isn’t any verification process or signature required at delivery. 

What to watch for

• Sudden mood swings or irritability, especially when a teen can’t get their supply

• Small bottles, gummies or unmarked packages hidden in a room

• Frequent online orders or smoke-shop visits

• Runny nose, constricted pupils, sweating or unexplained muscle aches

• Falling grades, withdrawing from friends and family, sleep patterns that suddenly shift

What to do if you find something

• Pick a calm moment and lead with concern, not accusation.

•  Ask what’s going on and actually listen to the answer before responding.

•  Explain the risk to a developing brain in plain terms. This is about safety, not punishment.

• Set clear expectations at home and follow through.

• Call a pediatrician or the SAMHSA National Helpline the same day: 1-800-662-HELP (4357), or find local care at findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

• Stay involved through recovery. Removing access at home and keeping the entire family engaged matters more than a single conversation.

Mayes may be pushing to close the enforcement gap in Arizona’s kratom law, but the burden of catching this early falls on the parents, especially since the products are still on shelves across the Valley.

William Travis Steffens is CEO of a Valley mental health and substance-use recovery provider. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.