kratom

The Toxicology Report on 2 Dead Students Isn't Back. But the Kratom Panic Is Already Here.

Before the science is in, the panic is already writing policy.

Jeffrey A. Singer | 9.25.2026 11:35 AM

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Two University of Mississippi students are dead, and investigators found packages of kratom at both scenes. Toxicology results are still pending, and authorities have not determined whether kratom contributed to either death. That hasn't stopped news outlets from blaming the deaths on "kratom overdoses."

A September 23 headline from KGW8 in Portland, Oregon, read "2 Ole Miss students found dead in suspected kratom overdose." The same day, WKYT in Lexington, Kentucky, published a story headlined "Kratom concerns after deaths of Ole Miss students." ABC News was a bit more careful, stating, "Police investigating 2 Ole Miss students' deaths after kratom found," and "School officials urged students not to speculate as the probe continues." We don't yet know what killed these two young men. But the rush to blame kratom illustrates how anecdotes can harden into drug policy before the evidence arrives.

The two students, now identified as Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were found dead Monday in separate locations, one on campus and one off campus.

Lafayette County Metro Narcotics........

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