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Florida high school track and field coach arrested for providing illegal supplement to athlete

Lawrence Andrew Fernandezby: Lawrence Fernandez05/20/25lawandfern
Florida high school

The Hernando County Sheriff’s office arrested a Florida high school teacher/coach for providing a student with an illegal supplement. According to a press release dated May 19, Hernando High School track and field coach Terry Kennedy provided two packets of a Kratom-based solution.

After ingesting the supplement with a soda, the student “began to experience symptoms of distress shortly after taking the supplement. The student was transported to a local hospital for further treatment and observation.”

The release also stated that the student was unresponsive when the authorities responded. After taking the supplement, he was “unresponsive with a rapid pulse, shallow breathing, and was hot to the touch.” The student also experienced elevated heart rate and blood pressure.

Because of this incident, the Sheriff’s Office issued a warrant for Kennedy’s arrest on May 16 for Furnishing a Kratom Product to a Juvenile. He turned himself in at the Lake County Detention Center a day later and had his bond set at $500.

During his questioning, the former Florida high school football coach was aware that the packets contained Kratom. However, he mentioned that he only provided it at the student’s request.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Kratom is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves can serve as stimulants in low doses and sedatives in high doses.

Furthermore, the DEA states, “At low doses, kratom produces stimulant effects with users reporting increased alertness, physical energy, and talkativeness.” However, excessive usage can lead to addition or hallucinations.

Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration declared that Kratom doesn’t have legal marketing status in the U.S. as a drug product, a dietary supplement, or a food additive in conventional food.” Likewise, the DEA listed is as a drug of concern. Its side effects may include itching, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, increased urination, tachycardia, vomiting, drowsiness, and loss of appetite.