Five eighth grade students became ill after ingesting suspected kratom gummies at Saddle Ridge Elementary and Middle School in Rock Spring, Georgia, on Wednesday, officials said.
Faculty members reported the sick students, who were taken by parents and guardians to a local hospital for treatment, Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson said by email Thursday.
A physician treating the children said the kids most likely ingested kratom, Wilson said by phone. He added the children suffered from vomiting, nausea and lethargy.
By Thursday afternoon, three of the five students remained in the hospital in stable condition, according to a press release sent by Walker County Schools Superintendent Damon Raines. One of students was expected to be released later Thursday, and another was moved to the hospital by a parent as a precautionary measure.
Some deputies spent Thursday morning educating classes at the school about the danger of taking unknown substances, Wilson said, while others worked to investigate how the kids acquired the suspected kratom.
Kratom is a plant-based product made from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. It acts as both a stimulant and an opioid-like depressant depending on the dosage level, according to Tomorrow Arnold, a licensed master social worker, Chattanooga-based therapist and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga instructor who teaches courses on drugs and behavior.
Synthetic kratom, an opioid-like byproduct of the kratom plant, can be lethal and is sold at gas stations and smoke shops across Chattanooga despite being illegal in Tennessee.
State Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes, R-East Ridge, said she plans to propose a 2026 bill banning all forms of the substance, citing weak enforcement of the compound and its widespread accessibility to youth.
(READ MORE: Helton-Haynes wants kratom ban in Tennessee)
The FDA has urged federal scheduling of synthetic kratom’s active compound, warning it can cause seizures, hallucinations, liver toxicity and withdrawal symptoms similar to opioids.
Kratom is a controlled substance under Georgia law, effective Jan. 1, meaning it is a misdemeanor for people under the age of 21 to obtain it.
Contact breaking news reporter Mason Edwards at medwards@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6409.