Two Deaths Lead To Rumors Of Drug Deaths In Tuscaloosa

Deadly drug overdoses have been a big topic over the last few days. Lots of rumors and few facts. This is a subject that I have written about in the past because I have seen how deadly and dangerous it can be for families in Alabama and really across the country.

It is a pure opiate that can be easily found in stores or online, or even at gas stations. While Alabama banned the drug in 2016, that has not taken the impact and danger away. Earlier this year, the attorney general’s office issued another warning about Kratom and how easily it can be found in the state of Alabama.Now we have a story that went completely crazy on social media.

It went from one school to rumors of another and another and another, and before long the rumor was that a University of Alabama student had died from a drug overdose. Now, as a parent of college students, I get it. These things are very scary for parents. That is why, in my view, social media can be incredibly dangerous and incredibly useful at the same time.  Those rumors just kept spreading and getting more exaggerated throughout the day.The fact is, two students in Mississippi did die and had the drug kratom in their possession. Law enforcement officials in Mississippi made it clear that doesn’t necessarily mean the drug played a role in the death of the students. This, of course, is because they have not done any official autopsy or toxicology.

"The University has not received any recent reports of student deaths. Neither UA nor Alabama IFC sent these messages. UAPD issues campus alerts and advisories through UA Safety's app and social media channels."