Blesk Podcast: The New Substance Kratom. What to watch out for?
The natural substance kratom, which originates from Southeast Asia, is currently popular among young people. Green powder contains a lot of alkaloids that affect the human psyche. But the most dangerous is mytragynine, which can even stop breathing in children in excessive amounts! The sale of kratom is not limited in any way in the Czech Republic, said addictologist Adam Kulhánek in Blesk Podcast.
In small amounts like coffee, but in large amounts like heroin. According to experts, this is how the new over-the-counter substance kratom works. The green powder was first used for medical purposes in Asia, but it also made its way to the Czech Republic. but while in some Southeast Asian countries it is according to Adam Kulhánek, head of the Center for Research and Prevention of Tobacco Use at the Addiction Clinic of Charles University, its use is regulated, it is freely available for sale in the Czech Republic. “However, it can be exported from those countries for export,” he mentions the paradox.
The green powder is available in e-shops, but it is also sold in vending machines in the center of Prague. “The sellers are talking about the fabric being collectible. In other words, it is a souvenir and not intended for human consumption. They do not provide additional information about the substance, about the effects or risks, in order to avoid the law,” explained Adam Kulhánek in the podcast. Scientists have not yet proven how quickly addiction develops, but according to Kulhánek, it could be similar to opiates, which include morphine or heroin.
In addition to the risk of addiction, there can be many harms when consuming a substance. Underage users are at greatest risk: “If a child consumes too much kratom, he will have suppressed pain, a slight euphoria, he will be more subdued, relaxed.” But if the dose was excessive, the depression can be so great that it can suppress the respiratory center and the child can stop breathing“, an addictologist warns of risky consequences.
Adam Kulhánek revealed in the Blesk Podcast what Czech children are currently most addicted to, how it is possible to quit smoking or how addictologists live in the Czech Republic: