Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, both Ole Miss students, were found dead Monday, one on campus and one off campus. Kratom packages were found at both scenes; toxicology is pending, and authorities have not confirmed kratom contributed to either death.
The CDC cited 233 kratom-associated deaths reported to poison centers from 2015 through 2025; nearly four in five involved multiple substances. The CDC cautioned it could not determine which substance caused the clinical outcome or death. Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported CDC data showing more than 5,200 fatal overdoses from 2020 through 2024 in which kratom was detected. The CDC’s surveillance system distinguishes detection from a determination that a drug contributed to death.
Reason says some headlines linked the deaths to kratom before toxicology results were available and argues that anecdotes can shape drug policy. It notes that state lawmakers are pursuing bans on kratom, 7-OH or both; the DEA announced this summer that it intends to temporarily classify 7-OH above a concentration threshold as Schedule I.
