TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) - Pima County is grappling with an increase in deaths involving kratom, a natural substance originating from a tree in Southeast Asia. In Tucson, kratom is widely accessible across the city.

The Pima County Health Department reports that seven deaths this year are associated with kratom. In the past eight years, the highest number of annual deaths was three. These fatalities include cases where kratom was the sole substance and others involving multiple drugs.

Proponents of kratom use the substance for a variety of reasons, including pain relief and helping to curb withdrawal from opioid addiction. Some in Tucson’s kratom community are skeptical of the health department's overdose numbers.

Jill Sugarman, owner of Arizona Kratom and two other kratom shops, urges peop

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