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By Anna Skinner and Amanda Castro
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Two University of Mississippi students have died, and local authorities say packaged kratom products were recovered during separate investigations into their deaths.
Officials are warning the public while stressing that no link between kratom and the deaths has been established.
As investigators work to determine how the students died, campus, local and state officials are urging students not to speculate and are expanding overdose-prevention outreach efforts.
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The Lafayette County Sheriff's Office said it is conducting two separate death investigations and has not found evidence indicating the cases are connected.
Authorities also said packaged kratom purchased from a retail store was found during both investigations, though investigators have not confirmed that kratom or any other substance contributed to either death.
What We Know About the Students
The identities of the students have not yet been released to the public. Their bodies were discovered Monday at separate locations, NBC News reported, citing Mayor Robyn Tannehill. One student was found on campus, and the other was found in the city of Oxford.
According to WMC Action 5 News, public safety officials responded to Stewart Hall on the Ole Miss campus shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday following a report of a possible overdose.
The individual was reportedly unresponsive and received CPR. Officials have released few details about the circumstances surrounding the second student's death.
Newsweek has contacted the Oxford Police Department and the Lafayette County Sheriff's Office for comment.
Ole Miss Responds
Ole Miss said it was heartbroken by the recent loss of two students and extended its condolences to their families, friends and loved ones. The university also urged the campus community not to speculate about the circumstances while the investigations continue.
“We are aware that considerable unverified information is circulating on social media and in the community regarding these recent student deaths,” Ole Miss wrote in a statement Tuesday.
The university said police are not aware of any additional fatalities and remain in contact with local and state law enforcement.
“We encourage our community not to speculate about the circumstances or repeat information that has not been officially confirmed,” Ole Miss said.
What Is Kratom?
Kratom is derived from a plant native to Southeast Asia. In low doses, it acts like a stimulant, while at higher doses it has sedating effects. The drug has not been approved by the FDA, and the Trump administration has warned about the dangers of consuming the drug and temporarily scheduled 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), a compound that occurs naturally in kratom, as a Schedule I substance.
"Traditional botanical kratom mainly contains mitragynine, with only trace amounts of 7-OH. In contrast, some products labeled as kratom or kratom extracts now have highly concentrated or selectively enriched 7-OH," Professor of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences at High Point University Scott Hemby told Newsweek. "That distinction matters pharmacologically. 7-OH has substantially greater activity at the mu-opioid receptor than mitragynine and, in our preclinical work, has demonstrated abuse-related effects that we did not observe with mitragynine. Highly concentrated 7-OH products therefore should not simply be thought of as a stronger version of traditional kratom leaf. They represent a markedly different exposure with distinct potential risks, such as opioid-like respiratory depression, tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal."
Hemby went on to add that botanical kratom is not risk-free.
"Kratom can lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms," he said. "However, from a scientific and public health standpoint, botanical kratom, highly concentrated 7-OH products, and products with chemically modified analogs should not be considered interchangeable."
Was Kratom Found During the Investigation?
Kratom was found during the investigation, Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said in a press release about the deaths. However, law enforcement has asked the public not to speculate on the deaths, as the cause of death has not been confirmed.
“We do not have confirmed information indicating that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death,” the press release said. “We ask the public to avoid speculation regarding the circumstances or causes of either death while these investigations remain ongoing.”
What Happens Next
The investigations remain ongoing. Although authorities urged people not to speculate about the deaths before information has been confirmed, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics reminded the public that free Narcan is available through vending machines on campus as well as at the downtown parking garage in the City of Oxford.
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Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gray R. Thomas
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