Story perspectives

What is kratom? Risks of popular substance revealed after college students' deaths. Police investigating disputed total Ole Miss students' deaths after kratom found. Kratom found at locations where disputed total Ole Miss students were disc

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 10:35 PM UTC · How we work

Left

Kratom Poisoning Surge

Two University of Mississippi students were found dead in separate Oxford locations on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Officials warned that unregulated kratom poses health risks and highlighted the campus “One Pill Can Kill” program that taught students to use Narcan.
Retail packages of kratom were recovered from both scenes, prompting a call for verified information.
Vice chancellor Shawnboda Mead mourned the loss and noted 2025’s 3,434 kratom poisonings, 233 deaths.

Right

Unrelated Deaths Confirmed

Two University of Mississippi students were found dead on Monday, September 21, 2026, in separate locations in Oxford, Mississippi.
Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said the investigations are unrelated, with no evidence linking the two deaths.
Coroner Glenn Coleman said the 18-year-old was found in Stewart Hall dorm.
The 20-year-old was found at his off-campus residence on Van Buren Avenue.
Coroner said autopsies and toxicology results could take two to three weeks.

Blindspot

Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said the two investigations are separate and no evidence links the deaths, as officials emphasized during the ongoing inquiry.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Right-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Left-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

After the FDA issued a November 2017 advisory noting 44 U.S. kratom-related deaths, the DEA announced a Schedule I listing in August 2016 but withdrew the proposal in October 2016 following congressional opposition. Subsequent CDC data show over 5,200 fatal overdoses between 2020 and 2024, prompting several states—including Florida and Kansas—to enact bans and consider stricter labeling.

1 of 4

Kratom Poisoning Surge

Two University of Mississippi students were found dead in separate Oxford locations on Monday, September 21, 2026.
Officials warned that unregulated kratom poses health risks and highlighted the campus “One Pill Can Kill” program that taught students to use Narcan.
Retail packages of kratom were recovered from both scenes, prompting a call for verified information.
Vice chancellor Shawnboda Mead mourned the loss and noted 2025’s 3,434 kratom poisonings, 233 deaths.

1 / 4