WHO’S NEXT? –
Sept. 13, 2025 – The Los Angeles Department of Health is warning the public to not use a powerful synthetic drug sold at gas stations after three otherwise healthy people died recently from the drug. The individuals died from fatal overdoses of 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a synthetic kratom compound… Dr. Gary Tsai, the director of substance abuse prevention and control at the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, said these are the first known deaths linked to 7-OH in the county. He told SFGATE that the department is warning the public, because people using 7-OH products do not realize they can cause fatal overdoses.
“That’s really what represents the significant risk we are concerned about, particularly people combining it with alcohol and not knowing that it could be potentially life threatening,” Tsai said.
