SATIRE— 30 students at AHS have been hospitalized for dehydration after The Earth Group removed all plastic water bottles from the cafeteria. AHS students refuse to bring water bottles from home and Earth Group has banned all plastic water bottles from the school. Students now are starting to drink out of bowls. Earth Group has denied any responsibility for the hospitalized students. Whoever uses the water fountain is shunned due to the high levels of lead in the water. This has caused many AHS students to remain dehydrated, eventually leading to hospitalization, maybe even death. In a recent statement by Travis Smore from Earth Group, he has refused any allegations for what has occurred at AHS.

“We are not responsible for students being hospitalized. They should be responsible enough to bring water from home. Plastic water bottles are terrible for the environment and by doing this, we are benefiting the school and the Earth. Most of the plastic here gets directly delivered to the Pacific Ocean poisoning fish. Those fish then eat the plastic, which then kills them,” Smore said.

The lack of plastic being used at AHS can benefit the environment, but not the overall health of the students. The student body has been suffering from this great loss. Sharon Mulfruit, AHS principal, has been noticing the negative effects of dehydration on the students.

“I don’t agree with Travis Smore about how using less plastic can benefit the environment, but when it comes down to the students well being, then we have a serious problem. That plastic was going to benefit the lives of fish in the ocean who don’t get enough nutrients. Students aren’t used to bringing water from home and they usually forget about that. It’s very sad to see some students being hospitalized due to this. I just hope the fish can survive with the less plastic,” Mulfruit said.

More students continue to be hospitalized and the lack of water is affecting their stress levels. More students have noticed increased levels of stress and anxiety due to this issue. The longer the school waits, the more students will be affected by dehydration and the more fish will die without plastic in their diets. Claire Love, a junior at AHS, used to buy 15 plastic water bottles a day.

“I don’t see the problem with having plastic water bottles. Kids are dying! For all you know, I could be dehydrated right now. The water fountain is so disgusting and my best friend was hospitalized without the clean water bottles available.” Love said.