A Mississippi drug task force issued a public warning urging people to avoid kratom on September 24, 2026, after two University of Mississippi undergraduates were found dead and the substance was discovered during the investigations into their deaths.
The university publicly identified both students by name, according to NBC News. One was from Colorado and the other from Georgia.
ABC News reported that authorities found packages of kratom while investigating the two deaths. The task force warning called on the public to stay away from the substance.
The deaths have raised concerns about kratom, NBC News said.