“Feels very nefarious”: People on social media share warnings about how addictive drinks at gas stations can be
TikTok has rediscovered “Feel Free” — and now, users on the platform are warning each other to stay away from the drinks you can find at gas stations.
For context, Feel Free began making waves on the platform in 2024. Once billed as an alcohol alternative, the drink, which contains kava root and leaf kratom, has become popular among those seeking a different sort of psychological and physical experience from products already on the market.
What is Feel Free?
Feel Free Classic Tonic is a drink that contains kava root and leaf kratom. While kratom is illegal in some states, both it and products using it are legal in other states.
This also means that the product is primarily exempt from legally mandated age requirements, although Botanic Tonics voluntarily raised the age requirement for their products to 21 years and older in May 2024.
Kava root is thought to induce relaxation and a reduction in stress, though many warn that extended use may cause liver damage. Kratom is often compared to opioids and has many similar effects, such as pain reduction. Similarly, extended kratom use has also been reported to cause withdrawal symptoms similar to opioids.
How are people using it?
While the product is legal, it has attracted considerable controversy since its release. In March 2024, a video went viral in which a woman warned about buying alcohol alternatives sold at gas stations. In response, a man made a video detailing how she had become addicted to Botanic Tonics Feel Free.
According to this man, named Louis, he became so addicted to the product that he drank up to three bottles per day; each bottle contains two servings, and the company says that one should not consume more than 2 servings in a 24-hour period.
“I have an addictive personality, so one a day turned to two a day, two a day turned to three a day, whatever,” Louis explained. “And then finally I’m thinking like, ‘Damn, maybe I’m addicted to these things.’”
After months of videos like these being posted on TikTok, interest in the product appeared to wane on the internet. Now, however, Feel Free stories are making a resurgence, and social media's horror stories are coming to light once more.
What went wrong at this gas station?
This may be why some people who frequently drink kratom products show signs of dependence, as recently observed by TikTok user Misha (@yourbestiemisha). In a video with over 18 million views, Misha explains how a teenager’s alleged dependence nearly led to him being robbed.
According to Misha, he had stopped at a gas station to get a beverage. As he was walking inside, he was approached by a child who, Misha says, was “maybe 14 years old.”
“He comes up to me and he says, ‘Hey, can you buy me some Feel Free?’” Misha recalls. “I didn't understand what he was talking about, but I said, ‘Do you need food or something?’ And he said, ‘No, I need Feel Free.’”
Misha rejected the request — and consequently, the child lunged for his wallet.
Startled, Misha went inside the gas station. After getting his drink, he informed the cashier that there was someone outside who had asked him to buy something. The cashier immediately knew what the child wanted.
@yourbestiemisha WARNING ‼️ Due to the ingredients kratom and kava this seems to be drastically harming people. I didn’t know anything about this and could have easily picked up a bottle sitting on a gas station counter! Be safe ???? #feelfree ♬ original sound - yourbestiemisha
“And she was just like, ‘Oh, my gosh, it's this,’” Misha recalls. “And she pointed to this little blue bottle on the counter that I've never seen before.” The “little blue bottle” was Feel Free.
According to Misha, the cashier claimed that she observed many people showing signs of addiction to this product, likening them to “crackheads.”
“‘I have people coming in here five, six times a day to get this. It's so addictive, and people lose their minds,’” Misha recalls the cashier saying.
Upon returning home, Misha researched the item further — and came away shocked.
“I mean, it's called Feel Free, but it traps you in addiction,” he states. “That feels very nefarious.”
More people discover Feel Free
Around the same time that Misha shared his video, other TikTok users began making videos discussing the “Feel Free rabbit hole.”
These users discussed the aforementioned alleged addictive qualities of Feel Free, as well as some of the other stories told on the social media platform about user experiences with the drink.
@pixierosewood Comments, stitches and duets are turned off, of course ???? #theaudacity ♬ original sound - Pixie Rosewood
Previously, the Daily Dot covered the story of a woman detailing her own addiction experience with Feel Free. This woman claimed that, at the height of her addiction, she was drinking up to nine bottles of Feel Free every day. While attempting to quit, she says her withdrawal symptoms were so bad that she had to be taken to the hospital.
At the time, Botanic Tonics told the Daily Dot that their product was not for everyone, especially for people who have issues with substance abuse. They also noted changes they were making to the advertising around their product, noting that they were going to label kratom as “habit-forming” if used irresponsibly. The company recently settled a lawsuit regarding whether it adequately explained the dangers of kratom in its advertising.
However, as that statement was made over a year ago, stories like Misha’s show that there are still issues with not only the marketing around the product, but the product itself, as many users in his comments section noted.
“It temporarily ruined my son’s life...He is the sweetest, kindest, most honest human being I know, and he became a complete addict who stole, lied, and completely lost himself,” reads one comment. “I eventually got him into rehab, which is where he is now. Doing well and healing himself. Tell everyone you know!”
“As a gas station worker, if ANYONE asks you to buy it for them, DO NOT!!” exclaimed another, saying customers "have become borderline aggressive and violent if you refuse to sell it to them."
“I picked this up off the counter when I was checking out at 711 and was reading it. The girl at the register said Please don’t buy that. Trust me, it’s not good for you,” added a third. “I hope she kept saying this to everyone like me, who didn’t know what it was. Happy I didn’t try it.”'
We’ve reached out to Misha via email and Botanic Tonics via website contact form.
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