Alleged cocaine trafficking at Penn State University prompts conversation about college drug use

Meanwhile, Hayden Panettiere’s death sparked calls to carry naloxone.

In late August, charges against an alleged Penn State cocaine trafficking ring raised concern online about college drug use and peer pressure. Meanwhile, actress Hayden Panettiere’s death prompted discussion about naloxone, and a CDC report on a cyclical vomiting condition associated with frequent marijuana use sparked debate over its severity.

Given these discussions, communicators may share overdose prevention resources for college students and their families, recirculate information about naloxone, and highlight the risks associated with frequent marijuana use.

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What’s trending nationally in conversations about substance use

On August 17, Pennsylvania’s attorney general announced that 14 people had been charged in connection to an alleged cocaine trafficking ring linked to Penn State University fraternities between 2023 and 2024. The attorney general said the defendants—current and former university students and one student’s father—brought cocaine from Philadelphia and New York to sell on campus and that some fraternity pledges were involved in cutting and packaging the cocaine. Many social media users expressed outrage and concern for college students’ safety, warning that cocaine can be dangerous on its own and may be unknowingly mixed with other substances, like fentanyl. Some said that college students are not adequately educated about drug safety and may feel peer pressure to use illicit substances.

On August 16, Hayden Panettiere died after experiencing cardiac arrest, leading to widespread speculation online about whether she overdosed. Social media users discussed Panettiere’s history of substance use, and some tabloids suggested that naloxone had been found in the home. In response, many posts encouraged empathy toward people with SUD and noted that anyone can carry and use naloxone to save lives, even if they do not use drugs.

In August, the CDC published a report noting that suspected CHS increased sharply in the U.S. between 2016 and 2022 and that a new diagnosis code introduced in 2025 has improved identification of CHS-related emergency department visits. Throughout last month, news outlets reported on CHS, colloquially known as “scromiting,” and some highlighted a teen boy who experienced a life-threatening vitamin deficiency due to CHS. In response, social media users debated whether CHS is serious. Most doubted that the illness can cause dangerous dehydration or vitamin deficiencies, but some shared personal stories about experiencing CHS and warned others to avoid frequent marijuana use.

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Recommendations for public health professionals

The Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about substance use.

Concerns about substance use on college campuses at the start of the school year provide an opportunity to share messaging tailored to students and their families. Communicators may want to offer tips for talking with young people about substance use. Additional messaging may highlight harm reduction tools that students and others can use to prevent overdose deaths, including naloxone and drug test strips. Highlighting where people can access these tools for free on or near local college campuses is recommended.

Deaths of celebrities consistently generate high levels of conversation, especially when the public speculates that the cause is connected to substance use. While Panettiere’s death is still being investigated, the conversation provides an opportunity to recirculate information about overdose response. Messaging may emphasize that bystanders witnessing a possible overdose should dial 911, administer naloxone (with additional doses every two to three minutes, if needed), check for breathing, perform CPR if trained in it or if instructed by a 911 operator, and stay with the person until first responders arrive. Communicators may note that it’s safe to administer naloxone even if the person isn’t overdosing or isn’t overdosing on opioids.

Conversations about CHS indicate that individuals may underestimate the potential severity of the condition. Messaging may explain that the condition can affect some people who use marijuana long-term and causes repeated episodes of severe nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, with symptoms typically appearing several years after the start of chronic marijuana use. Communicators may encourage people with CHS symptoms to talk to a health care provider about their marijuana use, as severe vomiting can cause dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, malnutrition, and other serious complications that may require emergency care. Messaging may stress that the only known way to treat and prevent CHS is to stop using marijuana completely, and people who need help quitting can talk with a health care provider or substance use counselor. Directing people to SAMHSA’s National Helpline, which helps people find SUD treatment nearby, is recommended.