Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is the number one contributor to drug overdoses in America. In recent years, the U.S. has seen a spike in fentanyl related deaths, increasing by 23% from 2020 to 2021. 67% of all overdose fatalities in 2021 involved fentanyl or other similar synthetic opioids. Fentanyl is often added to other less powerful drugs, without the user’s knowledge, in an attempt to increase potency. Often, people who overdose on fentanyl were initially unaware they were using the drug.

When the beep of the loudspeaker sounds in the middle of third period, the room falls silent. Eyes flash up as everyone holds their breath. Just over a year ago, during the morning of October 6, 2021, the PA system notified a building of 10-12th graders that the school was placed in lockdown. As the lights were turned off and blinds were pulled, the lockdown bled into lunch. Some teachers continued with their lessons. Phone screens lit up, and the words “an abundance of caution” flooded the thoughts of thousands of kids behind locked doors. A few hours later, the student with a gun was escorted away by police with no injuries, but the impact lingered. How do we get past this?

Alexandria City Councilmember Canek Aguirre and ACPS School Board member Abdel Elnoubi hosted a community listening session about school safety at Beatley Library on Sunday, September 10. The session was permeated with discussions surrounding the Student Law Enforcement Partnership (SLEP) initiative, media response, and community involvement in legislative processes. Elnoubi said that the decision on what to do with school resource officers (SROs) will be made in October or November, whether that be to leave, remove, or reimagine the role of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and schools. This decision will come with the recommendations of the SLEP committee. 

Any sort of roadway collision is just as traumatic, as almost being in one. “Almost-accidents” go unreported, and since the pandemic, these incidents have increased dramatically. Pedestrian fatalities in Northern Virginia increased 21% from 2019 to 2020, according to a report from the Governor’s Highway Safety Association.