Smoke shops and gas stations in Naperville can no longer sell kratom.

The city began enforcing its retail sales ban on Thursday, Oct. 1, after businesses received a final notice the day before. Mayor Scott Wehrli confirmed the city fielded calls on Oct. 1 about illegal kratom sales, as first reported by ABC7.

The ban covers all kratom products, both natural leaf and synthetic, at every retail location in the city. Possession and use remain legal for anyone 18 and older. Residents just can't buy it within city limits.

Why the council acted

Wehrli told the council there were four kratom-related overdoses and one mitragynine death in Naperville in the first half of 2026. The coroner attributed the death to mitragynine, one of kratom's active compounds.

In an interview with Fox 32 after the vote, Wehrli said: "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."

The City Council approved Ordinance 26-0984B on an 8-0 vote Sept. 1. Councilman Patrick Kelly was absent.

Naperville Police Chief Jason Arres framed the issue as a public health problem, not a crime problem. At the council's Aug. 18 first reading, Arres said the department's data pointed to a consumer safety crisis rather than a criminal one, as reported by NCTV17.

Arres told the council the DuPage County Forensic Science Center lab would not test retail products under a municipal ban, and city officials said packaging and labeling make it hard for police to tell natural leaf products from synthetic 7-OH products on the shelf, according to the Chicago Tribune.

What changed from the old rules

Naperville had restricted kratom since 2019, when the council barred sales to anyone under 21 and banned possession by minors under 18. That ordinance aligned with the Illinois Kratom Control Act. The new law goes further by prohibiting retail sales to everyone, regardless of age.

Not everyone agreed

Naperville resident Ashley Ware told the Liquor Commission in July 2026 that she became addicted to a kratom-based drink called Feel Free after hearing about it on a health podcast. She checked into Endeavor Health Edward Hospital for detox in April 2025, according to NCTV17.

But some residents opposed the ban. Dr. Heidi Sykora told the council Sept. 1 that natural kratom reduces her chronic pain without intoxication and that pharmaceuticals cause her life-threatening side effects.

Councilman Josh McBroom voted yes but said he would have preferred regulation over an outright ban.

Broader context

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published a notice July 6 signaling its intent to temporarily place synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) above a specified threshold into Schedule I. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved kratom for any medical use. Kratom-related calls to U.S. poison control centers increased 1,200% between 2015 and 2025, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other Illinois communities with full retail bans include Winnetka, Plainfield and Bloomington. Indiana has banned kratom sales statewide.

No specific businesses have been cited under the new ordinance. The city has not announced a timeline for compliance checks or enforcement reporting.