Campus Drug Alarms: Two UM Students Dead, Calls Grow for Narcan and Test Strips

Federal prosecutors have charged a father and son in connection with the deaths of two University of Mississippi students found Sept. 21, as campuses from Mississippi to Cornell confront increasingly potent drugs and push for wider access to overdose-reversal medication and testing supplies.

Charges and Ongoing Investigation

U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary for the Northern District of Mississippi said a criminal complaint accuses 51-year-old Yahya Mohamed Mosleh and his 18-year-old son, Islam Yahya Mosleh, of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. A complaint contains only allegations, and both men are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Prosecutors said one student was found in a dorm room on Sept. 21 and later pronounced dead; another student was discovered about an hour later at a separate location. Authorities said both deaths appeared consistent with drug overdoses, though official causes of death had not been determined as of the most recent reports.

Suspected Substances

Investigators reported packages of suspected kratom derivatives at each scene and are probing a possible link to a local vape, tobacco and beer shop. Federal officials have warned some kratom-based products can be significantly more potent than natural kratom leaf and, in some cases, more powerful than morphine; some reports have described such derivatives as "gas station heroin."

Local reporting and ABC News identified the victims as freshman Aidan Hamilton and junior Robert Strang.

Broader Campus Concerns: Cychlorphine and Test Limits

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has issued notices about cychlorphine, a synthetic opioid described as potentially up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl. The office warns that overdoses involving cychlorphine may require multiple doses of naloxone (sold under the brand name Narcan) and that the drug "is not detected by drug test strips or in routine hospital opioid urine screens." The office has linked at least 55 deaths in 2025 and 2026 to cychlorphine.

Universities are responding: the University of Arizona's campus emergency medical services issued a public health alert about cychlorphine on Sept. 23, and student governments and health services elsewhere are expanding access to naloxone and testing supplies.

Cornell: Naloxone, Test Strips, And A Separate Lawsuit

At Cornell University, the Student Assembly voted Oct. 24, 2024, to recommend that all on-campus housing — including fraternities and sororities — keep Narcan and test strips for fentanyl and xylazine on hand. Cornell's campus health service has offered free naloxone and test strips since 2023.

Separately, Cornell faces a civil lawsuit alleging drug-facilitated sexual assault at a Chi Phi fraternity party in October 2024; the complaint, filed Sept. 16, alleges use of ketamine. Cornell said it will respond through legal channels and announced it will hire an outside law firm to conduct an independent review of how the university handled the matter.

What Students and Parents Should Know: Campuses are facing a wider array of potent synthetic drugs and altered plant derivatives. Narcan can reverse many opioid overdoses but may require multiple doses for some substances, and not all dangerous drugs are detected by common test strips or routine screens. Stay informed of campus alerts and local health resources.

Reporting cited statements from the U.S. Attorney's Office, ABC News, The Washington Post, The Daily Mississippian, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.