Idaho Falls City Council Eyes Ordinance to Ban Kratom Sales Within City Limits
Council Tables Draft Ordinance, Seeks Expert Testimony Before Moving Forward
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The Idaho Falls City Council is weighing a potential ban on kratom sales within city limits, following a brief discussion of a draft ordinance during a work session earlier this week. The council voted to table the matter until all members — including the mayor and at least one absent councilman — can participate in a full discussion, and until subject-matter experts have had a chance to weigh in.
Councilman Brandon Lee, who made the motion to delay the vote, said he wants to hear directly from local community members who have already engaged the issue at the state level. “There are at least four or five individuals who have weighed in on this at a state level who I’d like to hear from who are from our community,” Lee said. “I’d like to understand their positions, their research, and what they have learned.”
The council indicated it wants the Bonneville County Coroner to speak to the body before any ordinance moves forward. That request carries significant weight given recent local history surrounding the herbal substance.
Kratom Deaths Prompted Public Health Alert in Bonneville County
Last November, the Bonneville County Coroner’s office issued a public health alert warning residents of what it described as the dangerous and potentially fatal consequences of kratom use. The alert came after the office documented six kratom-related deaths over an 18-month period — a figure that represented roughly 18 percent of all drug overdose fatalities investigated during that span. The youngest victim was 19 years old; the oldest was 42.
The coroner’s findings have added urgency to the council’s deliberations and helped set the stage for what could become one of the more consequential local public health measures the city has considered in recent years.
Kratom, derived from a Southeast Asian plant, is often marketed in vape shops and specialty retailers as an herbal supplement. It has gained popularity in parts of East Idaho, but health officials and some retailers themselves have grown increasingly alarmed about its effects and the pattern of use they are witnessing firsthand.
One employee at an Idaho Falls vape shop, who asked not to be identified to protect his employment, told reporters he personally supports a ban. “I find it really worrying,” he said, describing customers who appear physically deteriorated after weeks of regular use. He also raised concerns about a kratom-derived compound known as 7-hydroxymitragynine — commonly called 7-OH — saying roughly half of his kratom-related sales had shifted toward that product. “There are a lot of people who are super heavily addicted,” he said.
The federal Food and Drug Administration recommended last July that certain 7-OH products be scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act, though that action has not yet been completed at the federal level.
What Comes Next
The Idaho Falls City Council is scheduled to revisit the kratom ordinance discussion during work sessions on May 18 and June 1, according to the city’s published schedule. However, any formal passage of the ordinance would require action at a regular council meeting, where members of the public would have the opportunity to comment before a vote is taken.
The mayor’s office confirmed that residents can monitor upcoming regular meeting agendas through the city’s online agenda center to track when the ordinance may come to a formal vote.
The decision in Idaho Falls could draw attention from municipalities across the state, as local governments weigh how to respond to kratom’s growing presence in retail settings. For updates on statewide policy developments that may affect how Idaho communities approach substance regulation, visit Idaho News. Bonneville County residents navigating a range of local government decisions this spring can also follow ongoing coverage of issues including the Bonneville Joint School District’s upcoming levy vote, where budget pressures are also testing community priorities.