Latest news with #Kratom-based
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Student having ‘medical emergency' had been given Kratom by coach, FL cops say
A high school student found 'unresponsive' on campus had been given packets of Kratom by the school's track coach, according to investigators. The teen suffered a 'medical emergency' after consuming the stimulant, but survived, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. As for the coach, he has been arrested, officials said. The incident happened Friday, May 9, at Hernando High School in Brooksville, about a 50-mile drive north from Tampa. 'A Hernando County Sheriff's Office school resource deputy responded to a classroom ... in reference to a 17-year-old student who appeared to be having a medical emergency,' the sheriff's office said. 'The student was unresponsive with a rapid pulse, shallow breathing, and was hot to the touch. The deputy then performed a sternum rub, which the student responded to by sitting up and saying he was hot. ... The student had an elevated heart rate and blood pressure.' He then acknowledged taking 'an herbal supplement' given to him by track and field coach Terry Kennedy, a teacher at the school, officials said. 'The student advised that he saw the teacher use the supplement previously as an energy booster, and asked Kennedy if he could have some. Kennedy provided the student with two packets of the Kratom-based supplement,' officials said. He consumed both packets between classes and was soon experiencing a series of alarming symptoms, officials said. The teen was taken to a hospital 'for further treatment and observation,' and details of his condition were not released. Kratom's 'stimulant-like effects' have made it a popular energy booster, mood lifter and pain reliever, but experts have deemed it 'unsafe and ineffective,' according to the Mayo Clinic. Sixteen states regulate Kratom, including Florida, where it is against the law to supply it to anyone under age 21 'During questioning, Kennedy, who coaches track and field and is a former football coach, advised that he provided the supplement to the student at the student's request. Kennedy said he was aware the supplement contained Kratom,' the sheriff's office said. A warrant for Kennedy's arrest was issued May 16 on a misdemeanor 'charge of furnishing a Kratom product to a juvenile,' the sheriff's office said. He turned himself in the next day and bond was set at $500.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
Hernando High teacher charged with giving student Kratom
HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Hernando High School teacher and football coach was arrested last week after police say he gave a student Kratom. Kratom is a drug that, in low doses, produces stimulant-like effects like high energy and increased alertness. In high doses, it can act as a sedative. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office said on May 9, a school resource deputy responded to a classroom where a 17-year-old student was having a medical emergency. The student was unresponsive, had a rapid pulse, shallow breathing and was hot to the touch, the deputy said. He performed a sternum rub on the student, who then sat up and said he was hot. HCSO said the student's heart rate and blood pressure were elevated when they took his vitals at the school. Later on, the student said a teacher at the school, identified as 47-year-old Terry Kennedy, gave him two packets of a Kratom-based supplement that he took with a soda. He said he had seen Kennedy, who also coaches football, use the supplement as an energy booster, and asked if he could have some. The student began experiencing symptoms shortly after and was transported to a local hospital for treatment and observation. Kratom, while not covered under the Controlled Substances Act, is illegal for juveniles to possess or consume in Florida. Kennedy said to police during questioning that he knew the supplement had Kratom in it. A warrant for Kennedy's arrest was issued on a misdemeanor charge of furnishing a kratom product to a juvenile. He turned himself in to the authorities on Saturday, and his bond was set at $500. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
