On January 6, 2026, students filed into the auditorium for the One Pill Can Kill assembly. Attendees were presented with a video produced by the Attorney General of Virginia, Jason Miyares (Salem Alum), Special Agent Patrick Hartig, and guest speakers on stage spoke about the effect fentanyl has had on their families and Virginia communities.
The One Pill Can Kill initiative is focused on protecting the well-being of Virginian residents against counterfeit drugs containing fentanyl through the enforcement of laws and regulations. The assembly sought to educate students about how a single pill can change the trajectory of a person’s life and affect an entire community.
“I think this one specifically was impactful because we heard from people affected by this. Hearing this was really impactful [because] it came from real people,” said junior Emily Beatty. “I watch the news, but I know some kids don’t, so these assemblies are a good way for kids to learn about the outside world.”
At the beginning of the assembly, Miyares and other One Pill Can Kill associates introduced themselves, then showed a video documentary of how fentanyl has affected local communities, including personal experiences.
“They spoke to us about the fentanyl crisis in this state specifically, and premiered their video on the program,” said Beatty.
After the video, Miyares and two other men working with the program, along with Kaydence Blanchard and Shannon Doyle from the documentary, took the stage to share their personal anecdotes. Blanchard and Doyle are connected through Makayla Cox, the daughter of Doyle and best friend of Blanchard, who died from unknowingly taking a pill that had fentanyl in it.
“The personal stories from the two women really moved me,” said junior Katherine Tapman, “and I think a lot of people who went would agree with me.”
Students who attended were moved and suggested it would have been even more effective as a school-wide assembly.
“I wish they invited more people because it is important to talk about it, and not everyone who is dying from fentanyl are people that you would expect,” said Beatty. “It’s just important that people know that this can happen to them and that you can’t learn from your mistakes in this circumstance. If they could’ve dedicated more time to the assembly, it could’ve been more impactful.”
Still, assemblies such as these are vital to the prevention of deaths from drugs in general.
“I believe these kinds of assemblies are [necessary in bringing] awareness to things that can ruin the well-being of students,” said junior Anaya Mayes, “I definitely valued this assembly because it made me aware [of something] I didn’t know was happening.”
The recreational use of drugs in local communities is still a prevalent issue throughout Virginia. It is important to take these school assemblies to heart, as they highlight local stories while educating teens about the dangers of drug use.
