CDC: Kava Exposure, Combined Kava-Kratom Use Increased in Recent Years

TUESDAY, April 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Kava exposure has increased in recent years, as have reports including combined use of kava and kratom, according to research published in the April 2 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.Eleanor Blair Towers, Ph.D., from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and colleagues analyzed data on kava-related use during January 2000 to December 2025 resulting in a report to the National Poison Data System to assess trends by users' demographic characteristics, exposure type, and outcomes.The researchers found that after a 2002 U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory on kava-associated severe liver injury, there was a sharp decline in kava-related exposure reports, but a steady increase was seen since 2011, with 203 exposures reported in 2025. Reports mainly included adults aged 20 years and older, but over time, there was a shift in demographic characteristics. Reports during 2000 to 2001 mainly involved females and included more children ages 12 years and younger, while since 2013, exposure reports mainly involved men and those involving children have been rare. Reports involving combined use of kava and kratom increased since 2017, reaching 30 percent of all kava reports in 2025. These increases coincided with higher rates of serious reported clinical outcomes (32 versus 12 percent in 2025 versus 2000)."We are now experiencing an increase in calls again as new kava products enter the market, including products mixed with other substances such as kratom that can cause adverse interactions," Chris Holstege, M.D., director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, said in a statement. "These new kava products are found in stores throughout our area. The public needs to be aware of potential complications associated with the consumption of these products."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

CDC: Kava Exposure, Combined Kava-Kratom Use Increased in Recent Years

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