KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Health officials in Kansas are sounding the alarm over products containing synthetically high concentrations of 7-OH.
The products, which can go by the names 7-Hydroxy, 7-OHMG or just "7," are typically sold in smoke shops, gas stations, online shops and convenience stores.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says that synthetic 7-OH products are typically marketed alongside Kratom.
While Kratom has a small amount of naturally occurring 7-OH, there’s a set of unregulated products featuring synthetically-concentrated 7-OH. These products have a much higher concentration of 7-OH and are more potent than other products.
Health officials say 7-OH products are more addictive and products containing 7-OH are especially problematic when used in combination with alcohol or other sedative drugs. The combination can depress respiration.
“We are urging individuals to avoid using any products containing 7-OH,” KDHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dereck Totten said in a news release Wednesday. “It can be extremely harmful, even in small doses.”
Products containing 7-OH can be sold as gummies, liquid shots, tablets or powders.
“It is sometimes sold as if it were the same product as kratom, but it is not,” KDHE says.
The effects of 7-OH come through how the drug interacts with opioid receptors in the body. A person suffering from a 7-OH overdose can be helped by administering naloxone, though KDHE warns that if the person combined 7-OH with other drugs or alcohol, naloxone may not completely reverse the effects.
If naloxone is not available, anyone who suspects an overdose should call 911.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has established a website providing additional information and resources regarding 7-OH.
—
If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
