Texas woman goes to the gas station. Then she sees a giant bottle of Feel Free: ‘They’re literally trying to get people addicted at this point’

No matter what kind of controversy a brand gets caught up in, bad press still sells. One video is shining a light on how Feel Free, a drink brand that's been heavily criticized for its addictive ingredients list, advertises its products.

‘It's very addictive and expensive'

In a video that has more than 167,000 views, TikTok creator Madison (@suchamado) called out Feel Free, an herbal supplement drink launched in 2020 by wellness company Botanic Tonics. The drink has been widely criticized for being deceptively addictive.

Madison, who was in a gas station parking lot, started her video with her camera facing her. As she moved toward the gas station entrance, she flipped her camera around. The creator panned to a comically large cardboard cutout of a bottle of Feel Free placed directly in front of the gas station entrance.

“They're literally trying to get people addicted at this point,” she wrote in her caption.

When one viewer commented under Madison's video, expressing confusion as to what Feel Free even is, another viewer replied, “kratom kava drink , it's very addictive and expensive. if you don't know, don't try it.”

“We started giving these out at my job from an event,” another commenter wrote. “And my coworker got addicted to them in a month and started withdrawals not knowing what was going on.”

What is Feel Free made from?

Botanic Tonics marketed the drink as an alcohol alternative and/or “a drink that can enhance mood, relieve stress, and increase focus.” The company didn't necessarily market the product as an addictive substance: instead, the product's marketing has previously called it a “natural, plant-based way to get a quick boost.”

Feel Free Classic has kava root and kratom in it according to NBC News. While kava root has received praise for its relaxing effects, experts have said that kratom has opioid-like qualities.

“It's the kratom in Feel Free that has experts and health officials concerned,” NBC News wrote. “The Food and Drug Administration declared kratom to be an opioid in 2018 and has taken steps to crack down on products related to it. Kratom is not federally regulated.”

How addicting is Feel Free?

In September 2025, author Misha Brown posted a TikTok that shared an alarming encounter with a young boy and a gas station employee. Brown recalled that the boy tried to steal his wallet in an attempt to get himself some Feel Free. Later, when Brown spoke to the attendant, they said that “it's so addictive and people lose their minds.” The attendant told Brown that they had seen people come into the store six times per day to purchase the product.

Following Brown's video, a rush of similar stories came flooding in. However, stores across the country still sell Feel Free products. Botanic Tonics paid “$8.75 million as part of a class action lawsuit settlement” after being sued for failing to effectively warn its customers about the dangers kratom can pose.

Kratom has been banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. Individual states such as New York, Washington and Utah have also recently introduced tighter kratom regulations. By March 2027, Utah will have banned non-pure leaf Kratom from being sold in stores. Subsequently, Botanic Tonics filed a lawsuit against Utah's state officials, claiming that the upcoming legislation will cost the company more than $10 million in “immediate projected losses.”

In a TikTok comment to Buzz News, Madison called for federal intervention.

“While I understand the importance of a safer alternative to street drugs, there has to be more our government can do to avoid people becoming addicted to products like this who were not addicted to a substance in the first place,” she wrote. “The way this is advertised makes it seem innocent while people are claiming to become addicted to it very quickly. There should be clearer and stricter regulations for supplements in the US.”

Buzz News has reached out to Botanic Tonics via email.

@suchamado They're literally trying to get people addicted at this point! #feelfree ♬ original sound – Tinned Fish And More