July 6, 2026
Eleanor Health’s Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Nzinga Harrison, joined Fox 32 Chicago to discuss why federal regulators are moving to ban gas station heroin, the street name for 7-OH, a synthetic compound often sold as a “natural” kratom extract at gas stations and smoke shops nationwide. The segment comes as the DEA moves toward a temporary ban on 7-OH, which some research has found to be many times more potent than morphine despite being sold legally and without age restriction in most states.
Harrison’s appearance focused on why products like this are so dangerous precisely because they aren’t regulated like the opioids they resemble. Because 7-OH is marketed as a supplement rather than a controlled substance, it can be purchased by anyone at a checkout counter, with no prescription and no age verification in most states, despite carrying real risk of opioid-like intoxication, dependence, and overdose. That regulatory gap is exactly what’s driving the DEA’s push to reclassify it.
Segments like this one are part of a broader pattern: as loosely regulated substances like gas station heroin reach the market faster than regulation can keep up, Eleanor Health’s clinical team is increasingly the resource newsrooms turn to for a clear, medically grounded explanation of the risk. Eleanor Health provides outpatient treatment for addiction and co-occurring mental health conditions, taking a whole-person approach that combines medication, therapy, peer support, and care coordination across 19 states.
About Eleanor Health
Media Contact: marketing@eleanorhealth.com
Eleanor Health delivers comprehensive, evidence-based care for individuals affected by substance use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and mental health conditions. With a whole-person, trauma-informed approach, Eleanor Health is committed to improving the lives of its members, their families, and their communities.
