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Naperville mayor explains why the city is banning kratom sales
Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli explains the city’s new kratom sales ban, citing concerns over addiction, overdoses and the lack of regulation surrounding the products.
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Naperville has moved to ban the retail sale of kratom, with the city’s mayor saying concerns about addiction, overdoses and a lack of regulation prompted officials to take action.
Naperville bans kratom sales
The City Council voted 8-0 to prohibit the sale of natural and synthetic kratom products in the city. The ordinance is set to take effect Oct. 1, giving retailers time to prepare for the change.
What they're saying:
Mayor Scott Wehrli said he first became concerned about kratom after receiving a letter from a Naperville mother who described becoming addicted to the product after purchasing it based on information from a health podcast.
Kratom is derived from the leaves of a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. It is commonly sold in powders, drinks, capsules and other forms, and can be found at smoke shops, gas stations and other retailers.
"We're seeing addiction, we're seeing deaths, we are seeing all sorts of tragedies happen and obviously the industry is not regulating itself. So it's time for us to act and make sure our people in Naperville are safe," Wehrli said.
Wehrli said the city’s concerns grew after police reported four kratom-related overdoses in Naperville in 2026, including one case in which a person needed two doses of Narcan. He also cited a fatal overdose in Naperville that he said was attributed to kratom.
Naperville previously restricted kratom sales to people under 21. The new ordinance goes further by prohibiting retail sales altogether, although adults can still possess the substance.
Big picture view:
Other Illinois communities, including Winnetka, Plainfield and Bloomington, have also adopted full retail sales bans, while Rockford prohibits sales of synthetic 7-OH products.
"There are many cases like this that we probably don't know about, but unfortunately, this is a thing. It's not just happening at the suburbs, it's happening across the country, and that's the reason you're seeing a lot of states do complete and outright bans, which I believe is likely the right thing for Illinois to do," Wehrli said.
The Source: The information in this report came from an interview with Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli.