I applaud the Sun Sentinel’s recent report, “Palm Beach County Sees Sharp Drop in Opioid Overdose Deaths for First Half of 2025,” for offering a much-needed reason for hope in the fight against the opioid crisis.
Palm Beach County just reported a stunning 64% drop in opioid overdose deaths since 2022, according to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office. The announcement, made this week by top law enforcement and public health officials, confirms what national data from the CDC has already shown: The United States is seeing an unprecedented decline in overdose fatalities.
Paula Savchenko is a regulatory attorney focused on cannabis, psychedelics and alternative products. (courtesy, Paula Savchenko)
For the first time in a generation, Florida is seeing a measurable decline in drug overdose deaths. According to recent CDC data, overdose deaths nationwide dropped by more than 30% in 2024, with Florida ahead of that at 34%. Palm Beach County alone experienced a 64% decrease in overdose deaths since 2022, making it one of the clearest examples of this historic reversal. This drop coincides directly with the emergence and accessibility of 7 Hydroxymitragynine.
Also known as 7 Hydroxy or 7-OH, this naturally occurring alkaloid is found in the kratom plant (Mitragyna speciosa), a botanical relative of the coffee tree. It is also the body’s natural metabolite of mitragynine, the primary compound in kratom. The key difference is that 7-OH delivers more consistent and effective support for pain management and withdrawal, without the deadly risks of opioids. Since arriving on the U.S. market in late 2023, 7-OH has helped thousands of Americans seeking safer, plant-based wellness solutions.
For decades, opioid overdose deaths have climbed each year. But in 2024, as 7-OH became widely available, the trend reversed. States with the highest usage rates saw the most significant drops: Florida (34%), South Carolina (33%), Virginia (40%), West Virginia (43%), Tennessee (34%) and Wisconsin (37%). These results are consistent and compelling.
Meanwhile, Utah one of only two states to ban and enforce restrictions on 7-OH in 2024, was among only five states to experience increases in overdose deaths. The correlation is clear.
Nearly 1 billion doses of 7-OH have been consumed in the United States. According to FDA and CDC records, there are zero confirmed deaths caused solely by the compound. While some reports have tried to link it to fatalities, further investigation has shown that 7-OH has not been the direct cause of death in any verified case. Researchers have rejected FDA claims regarding the supposed harms of 7-OH, reinforcing its safety when properly regulated.
Despite this evidence, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier recently emergency scheduled 7-OH under Florida Statutes section 893.035, which requires an imminent hazard to public safety. That legal threshold has not been met. The data show declining overdoses, not rising ones.
Unfortunately, industry lobbying and misinformation are clouding the facts. Traditional kratom companies, losing market share to more effective 7-OH formulations, are pushing regulators to eliminate their competition. But ironically, their own products rely on 7-OH, as it is naturally produced when the body metabolizes mitragynine. Direct consumption of 7-OH simply delivers more reliable outcomes.
This is not a battle between safe and dangerous substances. It is a struggle between natural harm reduction and entrenched interests of pharmaceutical companies, kratom monopolists and the illicit market opioid trade. 7-OH cannot be patented. It empowers small businesses and reduces consumer dependence on dangerous alternatives.
No substance is risk free, but 7-OH is significantly safer than the alternatives. Florida has the opportunity to lead on harm reduction. Rather than ban 7-OH, the state should regulate it as an adult use product with clear marketing, labeling and sales restrictions. Prohibition will only drive people back to illicit drugs and undermine the gains we have made.
As Dr. Michele Ross, chief science advisor of the 7 Hope Alliance Foundation, warns, “I am highly concerned that opioid overdoses will instead increase in the second half of 2025. The emergency ban of 7-OH removed an important harm reduction tool from the market, and it is likely that forced withdrawal has pushed consumers to the illicit opioid market.”
We are on the verge of real progress in ending the opioid crisis. Let us not lose momentum due to fear or politics.
Paula Savchenko is a regulatory attorney focused on cannabis, psychedelics and alternative products.
