Recent student deaths at the University of Mississippi have saddened all of us. These young people will not see the next football game, the next wedding or the birth of their future children. Their families and friends are left to live with a loss that cannot be undone.
We must do more to prevent tragedies like these.
While the causes of these tragedies remain under investigation, the circumstances have brought renewed attention to kratom and kratom-like products being sold in Mississippi.
Synthetic kratom acts like an opioid and carries serious risks, including respiratory depression, memory loss, addiction, and depression. Its sale in Mississippi is banned. The purchase of non-synthetic, plant-based kratom is subject to regulations and restrictions under state law and is outlawed entirely by some Mississippi counties and cities, similarly to how alcohol is regulated.
Products purchased at gas stations or other locations may be marketed as something else or may not be properly labeled, meaning consumers may not know what a product actually contains.
Dr. Dan Edney, Mississippi’s state health officer, testified last Thursday that all kratom should be banned. I agree.
Nearly 80% of all kratom-associated deaths involve other substances, according to the CDC. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics cites nitrous oxide, also known as “whippets,” as one of those substances. While nitrous oxide is legally available for legitimate uses, its misuse for recreational purposes can cause oxygen deprivation, brain injury, and even death.
And so we ask: “Why?”
Peers say, “Just try this one pill.” Or this package. Or this balloon filled with nitrous oxide. Everyone else is doing it, so why not? The answer should always be: “NO.”
You will be respected for your response. If not, find other friends. You are the future of Mississippi, and you are one of God’s children. Respond as if your life depends on it. It very well may.
As a society, we also have a responsibility to look closely at the substances readily available to our youth and ask whether we are doing enough to protect the people who live here. When we know a substance carries serious risks, we have a responsibility to act.
It is time for Mississippi to ban all Kratom products.
This MFP Voices opinion essay reflects the personal opinion of its author(s). The column does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to voices@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.
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