Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Kratom topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges Bolivar to ban kratom sales after local deaths
Summary
A resident spoke at the Aug. council meeting urging the city to consider an ordinance banning the sale of kratom, citing reports of deaths and recent FDA action and leaving petition material and a Marion, Ill., ordinance for council review.
Mike, a resident, urged the Bolivar City Council on Aug. 1 to consider an ordinance banning the sale of kratom within city limits, saying he had lost family members to opioid poisoning and had since learned of harms he attributes to kratom. “It is an herbal substance derived from the leaves of a a plant that is native to Southeast Asia,” Mike told council members, adding that kratom “acts on the brain like opioids such as fentanyl.”
The resident said kratom is sold at gas stations and smoke shops and identified at least two local outlets that advertise it in their windows. He told the council he would leave for members a petition and a copy of an ordinance adopted by Marion, Illinois, that bans kratom sales, and said he plans to press the issue at the county and state level as well. “All I’m asking of you today is to consider implementing an ordinance that bans the sale of kratom and kratom containing products within our city limits,” he said.
Why it matters: The speaker cited national and state momentum on kratom regulation and a July 29, 2025, U.S. Food and Drug Administration action referenced in materials he provided. He said that, in his account, multiple deaths have been linked to kratom and that states are considering or adopting rules that range from bans to regulatory frameworks.
Council response and next steps: The transcript records the resident’s remarks and that he left materials for the council to review; no council discussion, direction to staff, or formal action on an ordinance is recorded in the meeting minutes or transcript excerpt. The matter therefore remains a public comment; any future ordinance would require introduction, review, and a formal vote by the council.
Context and limits: The resident cited statistics and agency actions during his remarks; the council did not verify those figures during the meeting. The materials left with the council included news articles and the Marion, Illinois, ordinance the speaker referenced. The transcript does not record the council assigning staff to research or draft an ordinance at this meeting.
Ending: The council received the materials and the speaker thanked members for their time. If council members choose to advance the topic, it would appear as a future agenda item requiring formal review and a vote.
