Shelton study session spotlights kratom, synthetic opioids, vapes and other unregulated products reaching youth

John Holbrook, safety and security director for Renton School District, told the Shelton City Council at its Feb. 11, 2025 study session that a wide range of unregulated substances are appearing in school settings and online and are reaching teenagers across Mason County.

Holbrook focused on so-called nootropics and related products that are marketed as supplements, mood enhancers or ‘‘performance’’ aids but that he said can produce opioid- or hallucinogen-like effects. "Kratom is marketed as a mood enhancer supplement. What we have found is that it has the same effect on the body as heroin. It's essentially a synthetic heroin, if you break it down," Holbrook said. He told the council kratom and other products are widely sold in convenience stores and are not age-restricted under Washington state rules he described.

Why it matters: Holbrook and Mason County public-health officials said the combination of broad retail availability, social-media marketing and anonymous dealer channels makes the products hard to track and easy for young people to obtain. Ben Johnson, prevention…