Bartlett may ban sale of kratom, synthetic drugs and nitrous oxide for recreational use

Bartlett officials could soon join peers in other suburbs by banning the sale of kratom products, and possibly aim to influence their immediate neighbors to do the same.

Sometimes called “gas station heroin,” the unregulated and highly addictive drug can act as a stimulant in low doses and an opioid in higher doses, Bartlett Police Chief Ryan Conway said.

Other suburbs that have imposed similar bans in recent years include Antioch, Batavia, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Lake Zurich, Mount Prospect, Naperville and Wheaton.

Conway is asking Bartlett trustees to discuss a ban Tuesday on the advertisement and sale of kratom and related synthetic drugs as well as recreational-use nitrous oxide.

While there are legitimate medical uses of both kratom and nitrous oxide, those aren’t the reasons they’re sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops in the village, Conway said.

“Information presented by the DuPage County Health Department further illustrates the changing nature of the retail market,” he wrote in a memo. “Emerging products can be quickly replaced by new compounds or derivatives, making regulation of individual substances challenging.”

The public health threat of addiction and overdosing isn’t theoretical in Bartlett, Conway added. The police department has documented 11 health incidents from kratom products over the past three years, including among high school students, he said.

Of particular concern are more highly concentrated and potent derivatives of kratom, Conway added.

Police did a compliance check in September on the 14 Bartlett businesses identified as retailers of kratom products to ensure against sales to anyone under the age of 18. Only one business was found in violation, Conway said.

But it’s because of the dangerous health effects kratom and nitrous oxide can have on people of all ages that a village ban is being proposed, he added.

The suggested local law would carry penalties such as municipal fines ranging from $50 to $750 and the potential revocation of a business license.

If trustees support the idea Tuesday, the board could formally vote to approve the ban at its Oct. 20 meeting, Conway said.

In that situation, the village would allow a 30-day grace period for village businesses to learn about the ban and comply.

Bartlett Village President Dan Gunsteen said he plans to talk to leaders of surrounding towns about following suit.

epeterson@dailyherald.com