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<\/p>\nIn September, 48 individuals died from accidental overdoses in San Francisco, according to the latest report on the city\u2019s overdose crisis provided by the medical examiner.<\/p>\n
Oct 23, 2026<\/p>\n
Updated 5:05 pm PT<\/p>\n
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Illegal Kratom products, such as these, are still being sold in smoke shops across Orange County on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Extracted from leaves of the Mitragyna tree in Southeast Asia, the pill, powder or chewable is touted as a mood- and energy-boosting supplement. Ingredients are sometimes added to it, making the effects even more unknown, addictive and dangerous, warns the FDA. The city recorded its first death from the kratom-derived MGM-15, an extremely potent opioid sometimes found at smoke shops. \u00a0(Mindy Schauer\/MediaNewsGroup\/Orange County Register via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
San Francisco<\/a> recorded 48 fatal drug overdoses in September, placing the total number of such accidental deaths this year at 399 \u2014 including the city\u2019s first fatal overdose from a synthetic opioid sold at gas stations and convenience stores, officials said.<\/p>\n The kratom-derived opioid MGM-15 produces more potent effects than morphine<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe products are not safe and can pose a risk of overdosing,\u201d said Hillary Kunins, director of Behavioral Health and Mental Health with the San Francisco Health Department, at a press conference Friday. \u201cPeople should avoid products that don\u2019t come from reputable sources. And products that contain kratom and kratom-derived substances.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier this week, the health department shared<\/a> a photo of the pill\u2019s bright purple packaging, which was marketed as a \u201cparadise blend\u201d of \u201cuncaria tomentosa extract\u201d \u2014 an herbal supplement derived from a wild-growing woody vine<\/a> found in the Amazon rainforest and other tropical areas of Central and South America.<\/p>\n It\u2019s colloquially referred to as \u201ccat\u2019s claw.\u201d<\/p>\n While very few high-quality scientific studies have been conducted on the drug, the National Institutes of Health\u2019s website said it \u201cappears to be safe when used orally for short periods of time.\u201d<\/p>\n The packaging shared by the health department doesn\u2019t appear to mention, at all, kratom or MGM-15.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/250528-SJSMOKESHOPS-JG-4_qed-82757d8a.jpg\")
A person rides a skateboard by Houdini\u2019s Smoke Shop in downtown San Jos\u00e9 on May 28, 2025. \u00a0(Joseph Geha\/KQED)<\/p>\n