This story was originally published by Local News 8.
Families of Kratom victims are taking a stand to expose the serious dangers of Kratom and advocate for awareness and change. Kratom products continue to be sold and marketed heavily around Idaho, despite the official FDA warnings of the drug's life-threatening effects. Now, officials and the victims' loved ones are speaking out.
In the last 18 months, the Bonneville County Coroner's office has investigated six kratom-related deaths. A staggering four of the fatalities were determined to be solely due to the acute drug toxicity of mitragynine, the primary active compound found in Kratom. One of these four victims was 23-year-old Kielee Rustici of Idaho Falls.
Kielee was diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) in 2022 and started taking Kratom after being informed that it would help alleviate her muscle pains associated with the condition. After years of taking the herbal substance, Kielee had unexpectedly passed away in March of 2025. The Bonneville County Coroner's investigation into the death revealed that mitragynine - the primary active compound of Kratom - was the only substance found in Kielee's system. Tia Matlock, Kielee's mother, now makes daily efforts to fight for legislative consequences.
"My way of processing and working through it is education," Matlock said. "Losing a child is the hardest thing you will ever go through, and I want to bring awareness to everyone else."
Kratom is an herbal substance derived from the tropical leaves of a Southeast Asian tree, the Mitragyna speciosa. Kratom contains two primary psychoactive compounds: mitragynine and its more potent alkaloid, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), which bind to the brain's opioid receptors similarly to prescription painkillers.
The drug is often used to self-treat conditions such as fatigue, coughing, pain, anxiety, diarrhea, opioid use disorder, and withdrawal, with regular kratom users self-reporting using less than 6g of botanical kratom per consumption, per several recent studies.
Kratom is a commonly listed ingredient in energy drinks, tea, capsules, as a raw powder form, and as a liquid extract. It's marketed as a natural pain reliever, but as Mallory Johnson of Eastern Idaho Public Health explains, the science is mixed—and without regulation, users can’t know what they’re getting.
"The FDA actually hasn't approved it for medicinal use, but it's not illegal in Idaho," Johnson said. "So people can still add different and unknown substances."
The FDA has not approved the product for medical use, yet it remains readily accessible in Idaho convenience stores and smoke shops. Brickhouse Recovery President Jason Coombs shared the risk of Kratom being readily available at stores without proper labels or warnings.
READ MORE | Kratom is easy to buy in Idaho, but doctors say the risks aren’t being disclosed
"People don't realize that it carries the same addictive risks as opioids," Coombs said. "In fact, a lot of people see it next to the energy drinks and sodas, and so it gives a dangerous sense of normalcy."
The effects of Kratom are complex and often unpredictable, acting as both a stimulant at low doses and a depressant at higher doses. Users of the drug become at risk of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity, seizures, and substance use disorder.
Bonneville County Coroner Shante Sanchez, who examined Kielee Rustici’s body, says these risks are leading to a dangerous pattern of young victims in her investigations.
"The deaths that I'm seeing related to Kratom are in our very young population," Coroner Sanchez said. "The substance is readily available, in areas like tobacco shops and vape stores, and things the younger demographic has easier access to."
In 2021, the FDA estimated 1.7 million Americans aged 12 and older were actively using kratom, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
For Tia Matlock, that lack of oversight feels personal.
"With it being so unregulated, we don't know what they are putting in it," Matlock said. "I just want people to know how addictive and dangerous it is."
Tia Matlock is one of many grieving family members, Kratom recoverists, and other experts from around the area who are now pushing lawmakers for change—hoping Kielee's story will prevent another tragic use of Kratom.
"I just want people to know she wasn't abusing any drugs," Matlock said about Kielee's legacy. "She was doing Kratom for the right reasons, and she didn't know the dangers."
Coroner Sanchez, along with other coroners around the state, has launched an ongoing investigation into the dangers of Kratom. She hopes their research on the substance can help in the campaign to introduce legislation in Idaho.
"How many deaths do we need before we recognize a serious trend?" Coroner Sanchez stated. "I am in discussions with the community, my fellow officials, the sheriff, and their departments. We need to inform the public and raise awareness that there are still significant dangers associated with what is being marketed as a natural remedy."
The growing awareness of Kratom's effects has prompted many states to implement regulations regarding the substance. Now, families in Idaho who have been affected by Kratom are coming together to advocate for similar legislation in their state. In fact, a survey conducted by Renaissance Recovery involving 3,003 respondents found that 43% of Idahoans support an outright ban on Kratom, which is in line with the national average of 43%.
The Bonneville County Coroner’s office emphasized that the “natural” label on unregulated products doesn’t guarantee safety and released an official statement urging the public to discontinue their usage of Kratom in November 2025.
For those who are interested in learning more about Kratom, you can view research articles by the Drug Enforcement Advocacy by clicking here. To visit the "Justice for Kielee" Facebook page, click here.
Brickhouse Recovery President Jason Coomes recommends anyone who is struggling with Kratom usage or addiction to find a local rehabilitation center or visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's website here.
