By Arnold W. Drucker
Our most consequential responsibility as public servants, parents, and community leaders is to confront emerging threats to the health and wellness of our children. Frighteningly, many of these can be found within arm’s length at our local convenience stores, and there’s a new one on the shelf.
We are all aware of the ever-present threats of alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products and the risks of lifelong addiction, cancers, and terminal illnesses caused by their use. More recently, we witnessed the frightening rise of dangerous fruit- and candy-flavored vaping products that get our kids hooked on nicotine and cause irreversible health problems like “popcorn lung.” Thankfully, our efforts to stem that tide have been met with slow but steady progress.
Now, we are being confronted by the threat of a new and alarming substance — an emerging stimulant known as Kratom — and it is incumbent upon all of us to act swiftly to protect our communities.
Recently, a constituent reached out to my office and asked to meet with me to discuss how Nassau County could address the dangers of this drug, one that their son, and many others, had gotten hooked on. The damage it caused was devastating, and I knew that action was necessary.
It is easy to see why people could be enticed by Kratom. It is often, and falsely, marketed as a natural, plant-based energy booster, mood lifter, pain reliever and opioid withdrawal remedy. But, as the old axiom goes, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
Medical experts at the Mayo Clinic warn that Kratom has not been proven safe or to have any medical efficacy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) similarly cautions against its use, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has labeled Kratom as a drug of concern, with its side effects including confusion, delusions, tremors, psychosis, depression toxicity, liver damage and addiction. Because of its unregulated nature and inconsistent labeling, its users have little idea of how much they’ve actually taken until it’s too late.
During a five-year span, poison control centers across America received more than 3,400 reports of Kratom-related incidents, and some of these cases ended in the patient’s death. It was also related to me by my constituents that, when their son finally embarked on a path to recovery, the withdrawal symptoms he experienced were similar to, if not worse than, those of someone going through heroin withdrawal.
Based upon these disturbing facts, I filed legislation on Feb. 6 that would ban the sale and distribution of Kratom products in Nassau County. Those found in violation would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by substantial fines and/or jail time.
Already, Suffolk County has banned Kratom, and New York State restricts its sale to people over the age of 21. Passing my legislation will bring us in line with our neighbors in Suffolk County and hopefully serve as a catalyst for a statewide ban. The fact that the Republican Majority has followed my lead and filed similar legislation gives me hope that this commonsense approach to protecting public health is on the fast track to final approval at the Monday, Feb. 23 full Legislature meeting.
Throughout my decade as a Legislator, I have remained laser-focused on preserving the wellness of our communities and protecting our young people from dangerous, misleading products that can ruin their health.
In 2019, I proudly introduced and passed a ban on the sale of most flavored vaping products in Nassau County — products that we have proven vape companies market directly to unsuspecting youths. This ban was later adopted statewide. The proposal built upon my previous bill to restrict the advertising of age-restricted items such as cigarettes, tobacco and vaping products within 1,000 feet of establishments commonly frequented by youths.
Before taking steps to regulate vaping, I focused intently on finishing the work that the late Judy Jacobs began to ban the sale of tobacco and cigarettes to anyone under age 21 — a goal that we achieved in 2018.
All of these proposals were ultimately enacted with bipartisan, unanimous support. As our focus now turns toward Kratom and addressing the devastation it has already caused far too many families, I implore my colleagues to once again set aside our partisan labels.
Banning Kratom will protect our children and our communities from irreversible harm. Let’s work together and get it done.
Arnold W. Drucker (D-Plainview) is the Deputy Minority Leader of the Nassau County Legislature and has served the communities of District 16 since 2016.