How many smoke shops in Sacramento are selling addictive, illegal products?

Viewpoints How many smoke shops in Sacramento are selling addictive, illegal products? | Opinion An open capsule of kratom pictured on Thursday, July 16, 2026. Young researchers documented illegal sales of kratom, 7-OH, N2O and psilocybin at Sacramento vape shops and urged city inspections to protect children and youth. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co We are young adults living in Sacramento who have lost friends and loved ones to drug addiction. We are both aspiring medical students hoping to advance public health and health equity in our community. This summer, through an internship at Youth Forward, a local non-profit, we researched the accessibility of addictive, dangerous products in smoke and vape shops in the City of Sacramento that are banned in California. We investigated 16 licensed shops within the city limits and found that over half (nine stores) sold such products. Specifically, at each shop, we looked for kratom and 7-hydroxymytragynine (7-OH), nitrous oxide (N2O) and psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Kratom is derived from the leaves of the kratom plant, which contains 7-OH, labeled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as 'an emerging opioid threat.' In October 2025, the California Department of Public Health declared kratom and 7-OH to be illegal for sale. In a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office, based on data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, kratom was 'implicated' in 242 overdose deaths in California between 2020 and 2022. Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a fast-acting sedative. Recreational and excessive use can cause serious health complications, including chronic brain and spinal damage, as well as death. In California, it is prohibited to sell, distribute or possess nitrous oxide for recreational purposes. And psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms, is a hallucinogen that can induce psychological distress. State laws prohibit the cultivation, sale and possession of these mushrooms. In addition to looking at these four products, we also identified the distance of the closest school to each shop and the grade levels of the school (including elementary, middle and high schools). Notably, the stores Little Smoke Shack, on Truxel Road, and Habits Vape & Smoke Shop, on Folsom Boulevard, are within 600 feet of Natomas and Cristo Rey high schools, respectively. One store, Cloud 9, on Del Paso Road, is within 1,200 feet of Inderkum High School. Another store, Royal Smokey Gift and Vape, on Northgate Boulevard, is within 600 feet of Smythe Academy, which serves K-6 students. One store that stood out for the prevalence of kratom for sale was Twisted, located on J Street in the Fab 40s. Based on our findings, violations of existing laws prohibiting the sale of these products are not uncommon. Smoke and vape shops are located in or near every neighborhood throughout Sacramento, and we surveyed only a fraction of these establishments. This research is especially important because past studies have shown that the proximity of some of these stores to middle and high schools may make dangerous addictive products appear more accessible to children and youth, which is associated with increased susceptibility to using these products. On Aug. 18, we presented this research to the Sacramento City Council. We urged the council to direct city authorities and related agencies to regularly inspect vape and smoke shops and properly enforce existing laws on the sale of kratom, 7-OH, nitrous oxide, psilocybin and other such products banned for recreational purposes. Violations of existing laws — especially if repeated — should carry appropriate and meaningful consequences for responsible vendors, including penalties on their license. Although we have not yet received a response on this matter from city officials, we believe our concerns about these addictive products have been heard, and we will continue to spread awareness on the harmful effects of these substances. If and when city authorities take action to tackle these public health challenges, we hope our findings from this investigation will play a role in assisting their efforts to protect children and youths from substance abuse and addiction in Sacramento. Youlin Zhu is a rising senior majoring in biology at UCLA, with academic interests in biology, evolutionary medicine, physiology and public health. Cayla Divodi is a recent pre-medical graduate from Sacramento State with a B.S. in biological sciences.