Two University of Mississippi students died this week and packaged kratom was found during the 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 either death.
Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said Tuesday that it has no information that the two deaths are linked.
“However, packaged Kratom sold from a retail store was found during both investigations,” it said in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, we encourage everyone to avoid kratom and any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source.”
The Ole Miss students have not been publicly identified by authorities.
Both were found dead 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 inquiries, according to Lafayette County Metro Narcotics.
Raegan Settle, a senior who is the student editor-in-chief of the student newspaper “The Daily Mississippian,” said the mood on campus was “really frantic.” A lot of the details were just coming out Tuesday, she said.
“Many students are hanging black ribbons around their sorority and fraternity houses as we speak,” she said. “So, I think people are just really shocked.”
Greek organizations on campus have been reminding members not to take anything that is not prescribed specifically for them by their doctor, Settle said.
Kratom, the name of a product and the Southeast Asia tree from which it comes, has gained popularity in the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. It is sometimes sold at gas stations or online.
Kratom can produce either stimulating or sedating effects, depending on the dosage taken, and can produce psychotic symptoms, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
It’s not federally banned, but the DEA lists it as a “drug and chemical of concern.” The Mayo Clinic calls kratom unsafe and ineffective and says it’s been linked to a small number of deaths, but that “nearly all deaths from kratom also involved other drugs or substances.”
Kratom has been banned by local laws in Oxford, Mississippi, but can be bought in surrounding counties, said Capt. Alex Fauver, commander of the Metro Narcotics unit.
“We have a lot of problems with the kratom and people on it, it has no medical use,” he said in a phone interview.
Kratom was found at each student’s residence, he said.
There have been no other student deaths and no other students or members of the community impacted, Fauver and the university said.
Authorities urged people not to speculate, and acknowledged that there was unverified information being spread online.
Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said there was a “significant amount of concern, speculation, and misinformation circulating.”
