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The student news site of Atlantic High School

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The student news site of Atlantic High School

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Drug Discussion

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird addressed AHS in an assembly about Fentanyl usage.
Brenna+Bird+discusses+drug+usage+for+AHS.
J. Molina
Brenna Bird discusses drug usage for AHS.

“Just one pill can kill.” This was said on Feb. 2 by the Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird. Bird came to speak to the Atlantic High School students about Fentanyl’s impact on and in our community.

According to Iowa Capital Dispatch in March of 2023, drug overdose deaths have increased in Iowa since 2019. For people 25 and younger, this increase was 120 percent. This is important to consider because most of these deaths were caused by a lethal amount of Fentanyl being found in other consumed substances.

Bird continued on to discuss how little Fentanyl needs to be consumed for it to become lethal. She demonstrated this to the students of AHS by displaying an image of a pencil with powder on the tip. “There is no safe dosage,” she said. This is further proven by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, which explains that two kilograms of Fentanyl is enough to kill 500,000 people. Taking any drug “is like playing Russian Roulette,” according to Bird.

The fact that you speak up may be the very thing that saves a person’s life.

— Brenna Bird

The Attorney General concluded her statement to AHS by emphasizing the impact students could have on the future of the Fentanyl Crisis. Bird explained to the students by discussing the importance of reporting instances of any drug usage, particularly if there could be Fentanyl involved. She concluded, “The fact that you say something could be the very thing that saves a person’s life.”

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About the Contributors
Alix Nath
Alix Nath, AHS Needle Editor
Alix Nath is a junior editor for the senior magazine and AHS Needle who likes to “dabble in a little bit of everything”, including The Javelin. Nath credits their brother Felix Nath, a 2022 AHS graduate, as the biggest inspiration for why they joined the journalism program. Nath’s proudest journalism accomplishment is their work on the senior magazine during their sophomore year. They made several writing contributions, major edits that aided the production of the magazine, and felt “really proud of how [the senior magazine] ended up because of the effort everyone put into it.” Nath’s journalism work strives to capture the “things you wouldn’t normally see,” shining extra light on the behind-the-scene processes of well-known events. Their tendency to dabble goes further than journalism. Nath is an active participant in AHS theatre - usually working as crew or tech, - speech and debate, concert band, marching band as a member of the color guard, and QSA. They draw happiness from school activities as well as their three cats and two dogs. A quote that would describe Nath and their passions best is, “I’m not always the best at things, but I try my best at things.”   By J. Molina
J. Molina
J. Molina, AHS Needle Editor
If you’re looking for a school staple, look for J. Molina’s bird. They draw the bird as a signature to show who they are in a creative way. Molina is an AHS Needle and Senior Magazine editor who is joining the broadcasting team this year. Molina is involved in many activities, such as marching band as a drum major, concert band as a bass clarinet, speech and debate, AHS theater, international club, QSA, and journalism. They use each activity as a “creative outlet,” and enjoy participating in each. They most enjoy speech and marching band. “I like swinging my arms like a fool,” Molina said. Story by Alix Nath

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