Florida Takes Emergency Action to Ban Potent Opioid-Like Substance 7-OH

Emergency Action Against 7-OH

• 🚨 Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an emergency rule to prohibit and reschedule 7-OH (7-hydroxy) as a Schedule I drug, effective immediately.
• ⚠️ This action is being taken due to the immediate danger posed by 7-OH, a new synthetic substance derived from kratom.
• 📈 7-OH is chemically manipulated to be up to 13 times more potent than morphine, highly addictive, and easily leads to overdose.

Dangers and Targeted Marketing

• 🎯 The substance is being marketed and targeted towards children, a priority for the state's safety initiatives.
• 🚫 The FDA Commissioner, Dr. Marty McCary, issued a warning about 7-OH, urging states to take necessary action.
• 🏥 Florida has seen a significant increase in emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and adverse health reactions linked to 7-OH across over 55 counties.

Addressing the Opioid Crisis

• 💊 FDA Commissioner McCary highlighted that 7-OH is scientifically meeting the criteria of an opioid, despite being readily available in vape shops.
• 💔 A personal account shared the tragic loss of a stepson to 7-OH, emphasizing the need to remove such dangerous products from retail shelves.
• 📉 The action aims to prevent 7-OH from becoming the fourth wave of the opioid epidemic, learning from past reactive approaches to fentanyl and prescription drugs.

Regulatory and Public Health Response

• ⚖️ The emergency rule leverages a law sponsored by Commissioner Wilton Simpson, allowing the Attorney General's office to enact emergency rulemaking for public health emergencies.
• 🔬 Experts emphasize that while kratom leaf may have uses, the focus is on the highly potent synthetic concentrated 7-OH found in vape stores.
• 🗣️ Many doctors are unaware of 7-OH and its various nicknames, underscoring the need for public education and awareness.

Expert and Official Statements

• 👨‍⚕️ Dr. Charles Lockwood, Dean of USF Health, confirmed 7-OH's potent opioid-like effects, including pain relief, euphoria, tolerance, and respiratory depression.
• ☎️ Florida Poison Control received 191 calls regarding kratom exposures in the last year, with a 14% increase in the last 3 months directly attributable to 7-OH.
• 🛒 The substance is being sold in various forms like tablets, gummies, and drinks, often mimicking candy, and is not legal as a food supplement or drink.

Enforcement and Future Steps

• 🚀 Enforcement of the emergency rule, prohibiting the sale of 7-OH, begins immediately, with potential for stop sales and further actions against non-compliant stores.
• 🇨🇳 The broader strategy includes addressing illegal vape products, with a significant percentage originating from China.
• 🤝 While the current action focuses on concentrated 7-OH, discussions are expected to continue regarding broader regulations for kratom and hemp.