A mother whose son tragically died after consuming a deadly herbal supplement has issued a gut-wrenching message.
In the weeks prior, 26-year-old Connor Neeleman had turned to kratom in a bid to ease his unflinching insomnia.
According to experts, such has been the case with an increasing amount of mental health-sufferers in recent weeks - as well as those suffering from chronic pain - many of whom seek an alternative to the potentially long-term side effects of traditional prescription painkillers.
Crushed plant materials like kratom can be purchased in powder form, as well as in capsules, drinks, oils and even gummies.
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It's not just available for purchase over the chemist counter, however, and are actually being sold in the likes of convenience stores and vape shop.
The sudden surge in popularity of these 'safer' supplements has been driven partly by the fallout of the opioid crisis, experts say, with many consumers reportedly being conscious of becoming addicted to commonplace painkillers.
Despite many medics previously praising these supplements as considerably more convenient options for those suffering, others have pointed out that the lack of formal regulations, independent testing and age restrictions on kratom can threaten life.
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The deadly potential of these supplements is something that Utah mum Eva Neeleman is painfully familiar, after two deadly capsules containing concentrated kratom extract, known as 7-hydroxy, killed Connor in his sleep.
Speaking to KUTV this week, the heartbroken mother revealed that her son had been given the tablets at a Texas vape shop for free several months ago - the day that kratom was banned in the nearby state.
"It’s killing far more people than anybody in this state or the rest of the country [the United States] realise," Eva explained. "Ban it… It’s poison, and it kills."
It took a further two months for Connor to take the tablets, which he did prior to going to bed, failing ever to wake up again.
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"This stuff will kill your kids. It'll kill you. It needs to be regulated," the grieving mum went on to beg.
According to health officials in her home-state, poison control calls linked to kratom specifically have doubled in recent weeks.
"We're probably getting a handful of calls every week," Dr Michael Moss from the state’s Poison Control Center disclosed. "Maybe before, it was only once or twice, and now it's happening twice as often."
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Despite kratom often being marketed as a plant-based pain-killing alternative, Dr Moss went on to note the importance of knowing the difference, warning that this could pose a matter of life or death.
"The difference is like coca leaves versus cocaine," he added. "The natural plant can have a mild stimulant effect, but taking extracted, concentrated 7-hydroxy is like getting a powerful opioid hit all at once."
Rhianna Benson