"7-OH, which is short for 7-hydroxymitragynine, is a powerful opioid related to the drug kratom that's often sold in candy-flavored pills. Rivers first noticed 7-OH at a gas station five minutes away from his family's Bay Area house and bought it out of curiosity. Immediately hooked, he returned the following day for more. Within three months, he had spent over $5,000 on 7-OH, as he quickly developed a tolerance and had to take more and more to get the relief he was looking for, and was in a deep stage of addiction."
"7-OH has earned the moniker "gas station heroin" because it's an opiate so powerful that one study estimated it was 14 to 22 times stronger than morphine. Yet it's sold openly across the country with no age restrictions. In the two years since 7-OH has become available in the U.S., it has quickly grown to a blockbuster seller - and experts are concerned it could cause the next opioid epidemic."
Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's free hotline 24 hours a day for resources and treatment for addiction issues at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Narcan can reverse a 7-OH overdose. 7-OH (7-hydroxymitragynine) is a potent opioid related to kratom, often sold in candy-flavored pills without age restrictions. An 18-year-old experienced immediate euphoria, rapid tolerance and severe addiction after first trying 7-OH, spending thousands within months and entering rehab instead of college. One study estimated 7-OH is 14 to 22 times stronger than morphine. Experts and advocacy groups warn of rising sales and call for bans amid fears of increasing deaths and a possible new opioid epidemic.
Read at SFGATE
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