Two University of Mississippi students died this week and packaged kratom was found during separate death investigations, law enforcement officials said Tuesday. Authorities said they have not confirmed that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in any of the deaths. Metro Narcotics of Lafayette County said Tuesday it has no information that the two deaths are related. “However, during both investigations, packaged Kratom was found sold at a retail store,” he said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage everyone to avoid kratom and any other medications or substances that have not been prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source.” Authorities have not publicly identified the Ole Miss students. Both were found dead on Monday; one on campus and the other in the city of Oxford, Mayor Robyn Tannehill said. “The University is heartbroken by the recent loss of two students and extends our condolences to their families, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” the university said. The deaths, which are under investigation by local, state and federal authorities, are being treated as separate investigations, according to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics. Raegan Settle, a senior and editor-in-chief of The Daily Mississippian, said the atmosphere on campus was “really hectic.” Many of the details were only released Tuesday, he said. “Many students are hanging black ribbons around their sorority and fraternity houses as we speak,” he said. “So I think people are really surprised.” Greek organizations on campus have been reminding their members not to take anything that is not specifically prescribed by their doctor, Settle said. Kratom, the name of a product and the Southeast Asian tree it comes from, has gained popularity in the United States as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. It is sometimes sold at gas stations or online. Kratom can produce stimulant or sedative effects, depending on the dose taken, and can produce psychotic symptoms, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). It is not banned federally, but the DEA lists it as a “drug and chemical of concern.” The Mayo Clinic considers kratom unsafe and ineffective and says it has been linked to a small number of deaths, but that “nearly all kratom deaths also involved other drugs or substances.” Kratom has been banned by local laws in Oxford, Mississippi, but can be purchased in surrounding counties, said Capt. Alex Fauver, commander of the Metro Narcotics unit. “We have a lot of problems with kratom and people taking it, there’s no medical use for it,” he said in a phone call. Interview. Kratom was found in each student’s residence, he said. There have been no other student deaths and no other students or community members were affected, Fauver and the university said. Authorities urged people not to speculate and acknowledged that there was unverified information spread online. Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said there was a “significant amount of concern, speculation and misinformation circulating.”
