HURST STUDENTS SPEAK UP

The legislation to require naloxone in public schools would make the life-saving drug available to over one million public school students.

These students are young and have their lives ahead of them, and they should have every resource available to them to ensure their health and safety.

Some people might argue that this is a waste of funding, or that it is not truly necessary because high schoolers seem less likely to suffer from opioid addiction. Even more appalling, some might claim that naloxone should not be administered because the individual who receives it will eventually overdose again.

However, these arguments ignore the fact that addiction is not a personal choice, nor is it a moral failing.

It is a disease that affects countless Americans and causes untold suffering. Therefore, the cost of this proposal is certainly worth it.

Even if this legislation only saves the lives of a few individuals, human life cannot be reduced to a simple monetary value.

Every person deserves the chance to live a good life.

This bill, if passed, could be the difference between literal life and death, and it should be considered with appropriate gravity.

Maiya Harding, senior Criminal Justice major: My favorite spring flowers are Dandelions and Baby’s Breath.”