密西西比州牛津市——联邦检察官于周五宣布，已指控一名商店店员及其儿子贩卖 kratom，当局认为这种物质与一名密西西比大学学生的死亡有关。
OXFORD, Miss. — Federal prosecutors have charged a store clerk and his son with selling kratom that authorities believe is linked to the death of a University of Mississippi student, prosecutors announced Friday.
密西西比州联邦检察官办公室称，调查人员确认在该学生死亡现场发现的 kratom衍生物与当地一家电子烟、烟草及啤酒零售店存在关联。随后执法人员执行了多项搜查令，并逮捕了这名店员及其儿子。
The U.S. attorney’s office in Mississippi said authorities established a link between the kratom derivative found at the scene of the student’s death and a local vape, tobacco and beer store. They executed several search warrants and arrested the store clerk and his son.
此前，在调查两名密西西比大学学生死亡事件的过程中，执法人员发现了多包 kratom。此后，密西西比州禁毒工作组便呼吁民众切勿使用这种草药提取物——低剂量时它具有兴奋作用，高剂量时则会产生镇静效果。
A drug task force in Mississippi had urged people to avoid kratom, an herbal extract that acts as a stimulant at low doses and a sedative at high doses, after authorities found packages of the substance while investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students.
目前尚无法确定 kratom是否导致了这两名学生的死亡，但联邦检察官表示，两起死亡情况均符合药物过量的特征。
It’s still not clear whether kratom contributed to either death, but federal prosecutors said both deaths appear consistent with drug overdoses.