Darien businesses must stop selling kratom by Wednesday, Nov. 18, under a new city ordinance approved this week.
The Darien City Council voted 7-0 on Monday, Oct. 19, to ban all retail sales of kratom and synthetic alternative drugs within city limits. Mayor Joseph Marchese signed Ordinance O-38-26 the same day. The prohibition takes effect 30 days after passage.
Violations carry a minimum fine of $500. The city can also seek orders compelling businesses to remove kratom products from their premises.
All seven aldermen voted in favor: Belczak, Gustafson, Kenny, Leganski, Schauer, Stompanato and Sullivan. No one abstained or was absent.
The vote followed a presentation at the same meeting by officials from the DuPage County Health Department and the DuPage Federation on Human Services Reform. DuPage County Coroner Judith Lukas also presented. The group shared findings from a Tobacco Retailer Environmental Scan conducted in summer 2026 that examined where kratom and tobacco products are sold across DuPage County.
That scan found kratom on the shelves of 89% of smoke and vape shops surveyed. More than one in five gas stations and one in 10 convenience stores also carried the products, according to the report.
Kratom is derived from a Southeast Asian tree. Its active compounds interact with opioid receptors in the brain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for any medical use and has issued multiple warnings about health risks including liver toxicity, seizures, addiction and death. The DuPage County Health Department has taken the position that kratom is an opioid and should be banned statewide.
The National Poison Data System recorded a 1,200% increase in kratom-related reports over the past decade, according to a DuPage County Health Department flyer distributed alongside the ordinance.
Darien acted under its home-rule authority after two state bills introduced during the 2026 spring legislative session failed to advance. SB 3160, the Kratom Prohibition Act, and HB 4737, the Kratom Consumer Protection Act, both stalled. Under current Illinois law, the only restriction is a ban on sales to anyone under 18.
Darien joins a growing list of DuPage County municipalities that have moved to restrict kratom. Wheaton's City Council adopted its ban on April 20. Naperville's council voted 8-0 on Sept. 1 to prohibit retail sales, with that ban taking effect Oct. 1. The Naperville Police Department reported four kratom-related overdoses in 2026, one of which was fatal and attributed to kratom by the coroner, according to the city of Darien's announcement. Winnetka, Plainfield, Minooka, Normal and Bloomington have also adopted bans.
Darien Police Deputy Chief Austin Jump is listed as a city contact for questions about the new ordinance. City staff has been directed to notify all businesses that may be affected.
