$11 Million Awarded to the Family of a Florida Mother Who Died After Taking an Opioid-Like Herb

The family of a woman who died after taking kratom, an herb with opioid-like effects, was awarded $11 million last week in a wrongful death lawsuit against a company that sold the substance.

Krystal Talavera, a 39-year-old mother of four who lived in Florida, collapsed in her kitchen while preparing breakfast for her family in June 2021. By her side was an open package of kratom with a handwritten “Space Dust” label.

The Palm Beach County Coroner attributed Talavera’s death to “acute mitragynine intoxication.” Mitragynine, one of two main chemical compounds in kratom, produces classic opioid-like effects at high concentrations, such as sedation, nausea, vomiting, addiction and difficulty breathing, which may be fatal.

Read the source article at NBC News