Utah lawmakers debate kratom bans as families urge immediate action

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Kratom, a product sold at gas stations and smoke shops across Utah, is back before lawmakers this legislative session as some families call for tighter regulation following addiction and death tied to its use.

One bill that has advanced in the Senate would ban synthetic kratom, while another proposal that would ban kratom in its natural form is still waiting to be heard.

Several Utahns who spoke with 2News say kratom played a role in the loss of loved ones or in their own addiction. These indicators are urging lawmakers to take action.

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Eva Neeleman said her son, Connor, died after taking a synthetic product containing 7-hydroxymitragynine, also known as 7-OH. Some kratom advocates argue synthetic version of kratom should be banned, while kratom in its natural form should remain legal.

When asked whether she supports an outright ban, Neeleman said she does.

“This stuff will kill your kids,” Neeleman said. “Whatever will get this off the streets, I’m supportive of.”

Paul Baumgartner also called on lawmakers to ban kratom. He said his wife, Brittany, began using kratom in 2024 to help manage back pain, often mixing it with alcohol and other substances.

“She just was not herself,” Baumgartner said. “She had no control over her actions.”

Baumgartner said he witnessed his wife take her own life while using kratom. More than a year later, he said he is still trying to cope with the loss.

“There’s so many things I would like to talk about,” he said. “They’re just — they’re graphic.”

Dustin Hawkins said he was seven years sober from opioid addiction when he tried a kratom drink purchased at an Ogden gas station. He said one drink quickly turned into as many as 10 a day.

“It was even worse for me than opiates because it just didn’t feel wrong,” Hawkins said, referencing the accessibility in gas stations.

He said the addiction cost him more than $100 a day, his job, and strained personal relationships.

“I was a bad OxyContin addict, and this thing in the gas station was the hardest thing for me to deal with out of all of it,” Hawkins said.

Utah Sen. Mike McKell, who sponsored one of the measures up for consideration among lawmakers, said claims from kratom manufacturers and advocates that the substance is no more addictive than caffeine are false.

“They’re wrong, and they’re lying to the public,” McKell said.

McKell’s legislation would repeal the Kratom Consumer Protection Act and ban kratom alkaloids, including 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine, by scheduling them as controlled substances.

“In essence, it would be a ban by scheduling those drugs,” McKell said.

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Another proposal, Senate Bill 48, would keep the protection act in place while banning synthetic kratom chemicals. It would also add safety and labeling requirements. For Neeleman, Baumgartner, and Hawkins, though, the measure does not go far enough.

“If it was banned, this wouldn’t exist,” Neeleman said. “Not just Utah. The United States of America needs to ban this product.”

Baumgartner said action at the Capitol is moving in the right direction.

“It’s a very good start,” he said. “It’s not fast enough.”

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