Table 2.
Survey General Demographics and Kratom use patterns.
| Survey question | Answer | Responses (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Are you self-treating with Kratom to mitigate, enhance or reduce the effects of your concomitant misuse of another drug (e.g. heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, marijuana)? | Yes | 15 (19.5%) |
| No | 62 (80.5%) | |
| Are you self-treating with Kratom to mitigate, enhance or reduce the effects of a prescription medicine dependency or as a prescription medicine replacement (e.g. opioid pain killers (morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone), to replace methadone or other replacement therapy)? | Yes | 25 (32.5%) |
| No | 52 (67.5%) | |
| Are you self-treating with Kratom because of a medical condition leading to acute or chronic pain? | Yes | 54 (70.1%) |
| No | 23 (29.9%) | |
| Are you self-treating with Kratom because of an emotional/mental condition (e.g. anxiety, depression, PTSD)? | Yes | 33 (42.9%) |
| No | 44 (57.1%) | |
| If you have ever used or are currently using Kratom, what is/are your sources for obtaining Kratom (select all that apply)? | Food/Nutrition store | 7 (9.1%) |
| Online (legal) | 56 (72.7%) | |
| Darkweb (illegal) | 1 (1.3%) | |
| Friends/Family | 5 (6.5%) | |
| Smart shop or other shops | 23 (29.9%) | |
| Clubs/nightlife | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Other | 8 (10.4%) | |
| How long has it been since you first consumed Kratom? | Less than 6 months | 14 (18.2%) |
| 6 months - 1 year | 14 (18.2%) | |
| 1–2 years | 26 (33.8%) | |
| 2–5 years | 18 (23.4%) | |
| more than 5 years | 5 (6.5%) | |
| What is the usual amount of Kratom you take/have taken per dose? | Less than 1 gram | 3 (3.9%) |
| 1–3 grams | 24 (31.2%) | |
| 3–5 grams | 17 (22.1%) | |
| 5–8 grams | 20 (26.0%) | |
| more than 8 grams | 5 (6.5%) | |
| I drink a prepared Kratom decoction | 4 (5.2%) | |
| I do not know | 4 (5.2%) | |
| How many times on average do you use/have used Kratom per day? | Less than once per day | 10 (13.0%) |
| Once per day | 10 (13.0%) | |
| 2 times/day | 23 (29.9%) | |
| 3 times/day | 14 (18.2%) | |
| 4 times/day | 8 (10.4%) | |
| More than 4 times/day | 6 (7.8%) | |
| I had sporadic use in the past | 6 (7.8%) | |
| Did you increase the regular dose of Kratom over the course of time? | Yes | 31 (40.3%) |
| No | 46 (59.7%) | |
| Have you taken/Are you taking Kratom in combination with other drugs/substances? | Yes | 20 (26.0%) |
| No | 57 (74.0%) |