In the UK, since 2016, the sale, import, and export of kratom are prohibited under the Psychoactive Substances Act. In 2017, kratom was designated a Schedule 1 illegal drug (the highest level) in the Republic of Ireland, under the names 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommended a ban on the chemicals in kratom. In April 2019, the FDA issued a warning against the use of kratom, stating that it affects the same opioid receptors as morphine and could expose users to risk of addiction, abuse and dependence.  There are some US areas where kratom is illegal in 2020: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin. Additionally, kratom is illegal in 16 other countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania. Since kratom is not currently illegal in many parts of the US people can easily buy kratom online or in smoke shops.