Two University of Mississippi students died this week, and investigators found packaged kratom sold from a retail store in both cases. Kratom is an herbal substance sold legally to adults 21 and older at gas stations and convenience stores across much of Mississippi, even though more than 30 counties and cities, including Lafayette County, already restrict or ban it.

Investigators have not confirmed that kratom caused either death. But Lafayette County Metro Narcotics said packaged kratom was found in both investigations and urged the public to "avoid kratom and any other medication or substance that was not prescribed to you or obtained from a trusted, regulated source," according to a statement shared by the Oxford Police Department.

That warning points to a bigger problem: kratom is sold with almost no oversight in most of Mississippi. There is no statewide requirement for age verification, lab testing, or clear dosage labeling, so students and families have no way to know what is actually in the package they just bought at a gas station.

Campus organizations are also warning students about cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid that does not show up on standard fentanyl test strips, showing how fast unregulated substances can outpace the tools meant to catch them.

Mississippi lawmakers should require statewide safety standards for kratom, including age verification, ingredient testing, and clear labeling, and should expand free access to updated opioid test strips at colleges and universities across the state. Families should not have to guess what is safe to buy at the store next to campus.

Sign the petition to demand statewide kratom safety standards in Mississippi before another family loses a student.