Utah
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.
MORE | Kratom
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.
MORE | 2026 Legislative Session
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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A Utah physician is warning that 21 data centers in various stages of development could significantly worsen air quality along the Wasatch Front.
Dr. Brian Moench, with Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, said the planned data centers are cause for alarm. Each facility is expected to generate its own electricity using natural gas power plants.
While natural gas is cleaner than coal, Moench said it still produces nitrogen oxide, which contributes significantly to ozone, particulate formation, and smog.
“There’s no safe level of air pollution. All of it is harmful, even at the very lowest doses,” Moench said.
Moench said health advocates have legitimate reasons to be concerned about what the facilities could mean for public health in the region.
“There is a real legitimate concern on the part of any health advocates about what this impact will mean to the Wasatch Front and public health if all these data centers are built or even if just a few of them are, and that’s not to address the impact on the Great Salt Lake shrinking up and becoming a toxic dust bowl. That’s the next leg of this argument,” he said.
Moench also raised concerns about electronic waste. As computer chips and equipment become obsolete and are replaced, he said the volume of e-waste produced is something no one has yet addressed.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.
Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.
“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.
“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”
Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.
“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”
Photos: Utah County Sheriff
In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.
Here are the final results, which show all the movement.
Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.
For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.
The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.
Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!
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