Hidden opioid crisis: How a synthetic opioid is exploiting America’s kratom debate

During my tenure as CDC Director, I witnessed firsthand how quickly emerging substances can overwhelm our public health infrastructure. Today, I’m compelled to warn about a new threat hiding in plain sight: a potent synthetic opioid masquerading as natural kratom.

As a virologist who has spent decades studying how pathogens adapt and spread, I recognize the same pattern in how dangerous substances evolve to evade detection. What we’re seeing with the compound 7-hydroxymitragynine is a textbook case of how manufacturers exploit regulatory gaps to create products that are, in essence, unregulated pharmaceuticals.