It was promoted as an alternative to alcohol, but it is known that those who have escaped from alcohol and drug addiction are suffering from greater addiction problems after drinking this drink.
According to NBC News in the U.S. on the 10th, TikTokker Misha Brown shared her story on TikTok last month when she was asked by a teenager to purchase a tonic called “Feel Free” for her near a gas station in Austin, Texas.
Phil Free is a tonic water released by Botanic Tonics in 2020. Tonic water is usually a “drink” mixed with a cocktail, but Phil Free is only available for people aged 21 and over in the U.S. For this reason, Brown seems to have been asked to purchase by the teen on behalf of him. The drink is being promoted with the phrase “It’s good for when you want to feel better, for a caffeine-free boost, or for a boost of concentration.” It actually contains carba root, which has a relaxing effect.
The problem is the “kratom,” a plant native to Southeast Asia that goes with it.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated kratom as an “opioid” in 2018 and is cracking down on related products, but products are still on sale except in five states: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.
This drink is being promoted in such a way that it makes you feel good without caffeine, alcohol, or drugs, but it is creating a new addiction problem.
John, a South Carolina resident, shared his experiences with Phil Free on TikTok. He was an addict of heroin and methamphetamine in the past, but he stopped taking it and continued to take it for eight years. However, after taking Phil Free last year, he complained that he became a drug addict again.
John said, “I tried it once, and it was really nice. It felt warm.” He later said he raised money on delivery days to buy Phil Free, sold his laptop, game console and other items, and later even stole them.
It is said that John spent about $30,000 to drink Phil Free. He said, “I did everything I could. It turned me into someone other than me.”
In addition to this, countless people are sharing their stories of experiencing Phil Free Addiction online.
There are more than 5000 members of the American Community Reddit group to break free. One member also warned, “Please believe me. We need to run away from this drink as soon as possible.”
Manufacturer Botanic Tonix was involved in a class action lawsuit in 2023 for advertising Kratom as a safe alternative to alcohol without informing consumers of the dangers of it. At the time, it offered $8.75 million as a settlement.
As such a video became a hot topic on social media, the manufacturer sold more than 129.7 million doses of fillies, but fewer than 1,000 complaints related to consumer side effects were received, and there were no serious addiction.
“It shows a very low rate of dissatisfaction, contrary to the reported sensational anecdotes circulating on social media representing the customer experience,” he pointed out.
However, experts pointed out that it is true that Philly is dangerous for those who have experienced addiction in the past.
Levi, an addiction treatment specialist, said, “You’re playing with fire. As a professional, I never recommend patients who are addicted to recovering to take ‘Phil Free’. It is not recommended to the general public because it is not subject to regulation, but it is dangerous (for addicts).”
McHadough, a senior researcher in public policy at the Kratom Association in the United States, also stressed that “any product that is classified as having a risk of addiction and causing serious side effects is of concern,” adding, “We strongly support the opinion that very strict regulation of Kratom products is needed.”
Mark Swagger, an associate professor of psychiatry at Rochester University Medical Center in New York, pointed out that taking kratom at a low dose is almost non-addictive, but you may need to take more to develop tolerance and feel the same effect. He also admitted that if you stop taking kratom, some people may experience withdrawal symptoms.
A bottle of fill free is 2 ounces (about 50 ml) and a serving is 1 ounce, which is half the volume of the bottle. The label also has a warning message not to consume more than 2 ounces within 24 hours.
However, there is disagreement over the argument that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) should take issue with the chemical 7-OH (7-hydroxymitrazinin) contained in kratom and classify it as a first-class drug.
Experts say that while synthetic high concentrations of 7-OH can cause serious addiction, such as heroin, ecstasy, and marijuana, the ingredients contained in kratom do not cause this level of addiction problems.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
