NY Senator David Carlucci has introduced Senate Bill S6345 to ban the sale and use of Kratom all across New York. Kratom is a substance derived from a plant often used by recovering opiate addicts to wean themselves off the drug and to calm withdrawal symptoms.

While alcohol kills 88,000 people a year, and heroin and pharmaceuticals kill 28,000 a year, Kratom has killed 30 people. Ever. The narrative this bill wants you to believe is that Kratom is some kind of danger to public safety, but this bill is nothing more than a Senator, using his power, to help out the drug companies, who donate to his campaign by pushing out the natural medicine alternative.

It is not up to the government to decide how treat our diseases or what suits each of our specific needs. This bill is nothing more than a Senator looking out for the interests of the donors who backed him, and ignoring the fact that these are the exact decisions that are causing the addiction epidemic.

The 1 Needle Awareness Foundation and Operation Overdose Radio are committed to providing a voice for the drug addiction community, and standing up to drug companies and rogue doctors. We as a nation-wide community are the only ones who have the will to stop them.

It is our children dying in their hands, it is our husbands, and our wives, suffering because of them. We must continue to give voice to the public, whether you are an addict yourself, or a recovering addict, a family member or just a concerned citizen, your voice can make a difference.