Ouch.
I am certainly not recommending that anyone start using kratark just for the heck of it, or for recreation, or any other reason. But in the case of people who are
already dependent upon an opiate or opioid, it is a
less harmful alternative to help transition off the harder stuff. An overdose of codeine/acetaminophen can literally kill a person (mainly because acetaminophen is toxic to the liver, but very high doses of codeine by itself could also be lethal by suppressing respiration), but a K@ overdose is very unlikely to kill a person (although it does cause severe nausea and vomiting). Of course the long term goal should be to taper off of all opioids.