A Southern California woman is issuing a PSA after an attempt at a quick pick-me-up led to her vowing never to purchase this product again. But was the gas station worker’s warning against Feel Free alarmist—or is the alcohol alternative as dangerous as everyone says?
In a viral TikTok, Olivia Esme (@oliviaesmie) says she grabbed a bottle of Feel Free at a gas station after she noticed it promised to improve focus and energy. Upon checking out, however, the cashier couldn’t let her leave the store without a warning.
After the cashier asked for her ID, Olivia wondered out loud whether there was alcohol in the Feel Free bottle. The worker replied that it didn’t, but you still had to be over 21 to purchase.
Olivia thought it weird and asked him whether it was like Red Bull or 5 Hour Energy. The cashier purportedly responded that yes, but that it’s “different.”
“Be careful,” the worker allegedly warned her.
Sure enough, after Olivia went home and researched what Feel Free actually was, she didn’t bother opening the bottle.
What exactly is Feel Free—and what makes it so addicting?
Feel Free, sold by Botanic Tonics, is a drink advertised as an alcohol alternative. Folks looking to get sober from drinking turn to the product, but quickly find that it is very addictive. This is due to the Kratom found in the drink.
A native plant in Southeast Asia, kratom is used as an energy booster or “mood reliever.” But according to CBS News, the FDA warned against “consuming kratom for medical use due to the risk of liver toxicity, seizures and substance use disorder.”
The site also reported that the DEA classified it as a “drug of concern” and warned that it can “lead to addiction.”
The company manufacturing Feel Free told CBS News it “fell short of the high standards of transparency and consumer education that our company now champions.” Now, they vow to take steps for “continuous improvement and doing what’s right for consumers.”
This comes after a class action lawsuit was filed against Botanic Tonics in 2023 for alleging that the product was a “safe alternative to alcohol.”
Folks quickly found out, however, how unsafe it could be.
Viewers don’t think the warning was enough
Olivia’s TikTok, which earned almost a million views as of Sunday, stirred fiery reactions. Several thought that the cashier could’ve done more than just tell her to “be careful.”
User Brooke Campbell wrote, “He 100% knows what it is and he should’ve been more clear in his warning of how addictive it can be.” Another said, “That cashier ain’t [expletive] he should’ve warned you.”
Others shared their own personal experiences with the product. One Daniel Stringfellow wrote, “Feel frees had a [expletive] grip on me for 8 months. I spent 10s of thousands of dollars on the stuff and I’m not proud of it. Something needs to be done. I thought I was having a plant based 5 hour energy instead I got a borderline opioid addiction for 8 months. I am 7 days clean today.”
A user who identified themselves as a smokeshop worker revealed their perspective on seeing customers buy the product.
“I work at a smoke shop and anytime someone’s looking at the feel free or any kratom products I always ask if they’ve tried them before,” they wrote. “If they say no I straight up tell them not to buy it and tell them it’s super addictive. I see people coming in every day to buy 3-5 of these things.”
Feel Free and the dangers of addiction
Others who weren’t fortunate enough to have a gas station worker warn them know all too well the slippery slope that purchasing a Feel Free bottle is. They’ve shared their experiences on TikTok, where they reveal how much it affected them. In one viral clip, a woman said she was drinking around 10 bottles of Feel Free a day, despite the serving size being one a day.
Her story is not uncommon. In a subreddit called r/QuittingKratom, over 52,000 members have joined to share their own stories. Another called r/QuittingFeelFree has over 5,000 members, with many tracking their progress of quitting the highly addictive product.
Folks trying to quit the product describe the awful feelings of withdrawal, which include but are not limited to feeling lethargic, nose running, headaches, and flu-like symptoms. Some reveal how they wouldn’t get better until they had another bottle of Feel Free.
It seems Olivia was lucky, then, that the gas station worker spoke up.
She concluded her video by saying, “Shout out to that cashier. I feel like you kind of saved my life.”
@oliviaesmie I’m probably overreacting #feelfree #feelfreedrink ♬ original sound – Olivia Esmie
The Mary Sue reached out to Olivia and Botanic Tonics via email.
Update August 4, 2025:
In an email to The Mary Sue, a spokesperson for Botanic Tonics supported the FDA’s recent announcement of the move to ban concentrated 7-OH, which is a kratom synthetic. Botanic Tonics clarified that Feel Free Classic does not use synthetic kratom; therefore, it is not affected by the FDA’s recommendation.
In its statement, the company reinforced its commitment to consumer safety through transparency, stricter labeling, and education.
It states how all products are manufactured at its FDA-registered, cGMP-certified facility in Oklahoma and undergo third-party lab testing. The spokesperson also addressed the recent concerns raised on social media about minors accessing the product. It claims it takes these reports seriously and is actively working with retailers to enforce age restrictions.
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