Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health Kratom topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident urges county ban on kratom; commissioners ask attorney to review Sarasota ordinance
Summary
A local resident told the commission kratom is dangerous and urged a local ban; commissioners asked the county attorney to review Sarasota County’s ordinance and report back on legal options and public‑hearing requirements.
Susan Kaye, a resident who said she lost her son to kratom, urged the commission to consider a local prohibition on the herbal product and described national concerns about supply, contamination and deaths.
Kaye said kratom is sold in gas stations and smoke shops and warned the substance can be mixed into drinks, pills or shots. She argued that consumer‑protection laws advocated by industry do not protect users and pointed to bans in some states and counties. "It is killing people," Kaye said during public comment, asking commissioners to support a ban.
Commissioners expressed sympathy, and County Attorney and staff said they would research the legal options. The attorney said staff would evaluate Sarasota County’s ordinance and the public‑hearing requirements under state statute and provide an update to the board at a future meeting.
Ending: The board directed staff to research the ordinance and public‑hearing steps and to report back to the commission; no formal ordinance or ban was adopted at the meeting.
