Strategic Prevention Partnerships and the Newport County Prevention Coalition will host a free public panel on kratom on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Green Valley Country Club, 371 Union St. Check-in starts at 5.
The event arrives amid a sharp split between neighboring states. Rhode Island overturned its ban on kratom this spring, allowing licensed businesses to sell it. In August, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey classified the plant as a Schedule I drug, calling it an imminent hazard to public safety.
Kratom is native to Southeast Asia and has been used to self-treat pain, anxiety and opioid withdrawal. The FDA has not approved any kratom product.
The panel will cover how kratom affects the body, the difference between leaf kratom and more potent synthetic derivatives such as 7-hydroxymitragynine, current research on dependence and withdrawal, how Rhode Island’s rules compare with other states, and guidance for families concerned about someone’s use. An audience question period follows.
Paul Parchesky, director of inpatient pharmacy at Newport Hospital, moderates. Panelists are Neil Hytinen and Dr. Brendalee Viveiros of the Rhode Island Department of Health; Dr. Cornel Stanciu, director of addiction services at New Hampshire Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine; and Xander Wilkinson, a harm reductionist and clinical support specialist at VICTA.
“As kratom becomes more accessible, we have an opportunity to get ahead of emerging trends through education and prevention,” said Georgie Allott, the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition coordinator.
Dinner and childcare are provided. Registration is required at forms.gle/JbsdGQiPFGwrG9Qs9.
Funding comes in part from the town of Portsmouth, the towns of Tiverton and Little Compton, and the Newport Prevention Coalition.
