Four people in Utah have died after using herbal products that state officials say contained high-potency, lab-altered kratom chemicals, including tablets misleadingly labeled as "cat's claw." The Utah Department of Health and Human Services issued the urgent public health warning on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, together with poison control and agriculture officials. The products have been sold online and in smoke shops and gas stations.
The warning matters because many buyers would never connect a cat's claw label with an opioid. Cat's claw is a vine extract commonly sold as a wellness supplement, so a person buying one at a convenience counter may have no idea the tablet can slow or stop breathing.
