Calls to the Georgia Poison Center tied to kratom exposures are spiking in the Atlanta area, with local toxicologists logging hundreds of incidents since 2021 and sounding the alarm about a sharp jump in cases involving young children. Many of the 2025 encounters ended with a hospital visit, and officials say candy-style gummies and high-potency extracts are doing much of the damage. All of this is unfolding as new state rules kick in and federal warnings grow louder.
CDC flags national spike and high-potency products
A recent analysis of National Poison Data System reports found that kratom-related calls to poison centers climbed steeply in 2025, reaching 3,434 reports, roughly a 1,200% increase since 2015. The review highlighted high-potency alkaloid extracts as a major driver of serious incidents. It also notes that multiple-substance exposures, such as kratom combined with opioids or antidepressants, accounted for the most severe outcomes, including hospitalizations and deaths, according to CDC.
Georgia figures and the child surge
In Georgia, poison center staff report the same troubling pattern. Patrick Filkins of the Georgia Poison Center told 95.5 WSB that the center has handled roughly 543 kratom exposure cases since 2021 and saw a 66% increase between 2022 and 2025. Exposures among children five and under rose even faster, with Filkins describing roughly a 400% jump from 2024 to 2025 and pointing to gummies and lollipop-style products as a key reason. He added that about 76% of Georgia’s 2025 kratom exposures required management at a healthcare facility.
Regulation tightening as federal alerts mount
Georgia responded by passing a Kratom Consumer Protection Act that took effect Jan. 1, 2025. The law sets age limits, caps product concentrations and requires kratom to be sold behind the counter, while the state Attorney General later issued a consumer alert about products falsely marketed as kratom that contain dangerous opioid-like substances, according to the Georgia Attorney General's Office.
At the federal level, the Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers not to use kratom because of risks such as liver injury, seizures and substance use disorder, and in 2025 issued a focused advisory on concentrated 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) products and related enforcement actions, according to the FDA.
How parents and retailers can reduce risk
Public-health experts urge families to treat kratom like any other hazardous product: keep it out of reach of children, avoid candy-like packaging in homes where kids live and check with a clinician before mixing supplements with prescription medicines. If a suspected exposure occurs, people are advised to call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or visit PoisonHelp.org. America’s Poison Centers is also encouraging clinicians and families to report adverse events so officials can track patterns and respond quickly, according to America’s Poison Centers.
Policy fight continues at the statehouse
Lawmakers are now wrestling with whether to go further. House Bill 968, introduced in January 2026, would place mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) on Georgia’s Schedule I list and curb synthetic derivatives; backers say the move would target dangerous concentrates, while opponents warn it could restrict access to natural leaf products. The measure has moved through committee steps and remains under active consideration, according to LegiScan.
