BRIGHT SPOT: HAWAIʻI COUNTY FENTANYL TASK FORCE
“Fentanyl is here in West Hawaii, and we’re beginning the conversation to help prevent overdose deaths in our community.”
Behavioral health and substance abuse have emerged as issues of acute concern in our West Hawaiʻi community. Last month, a coalition of Hawaiʻi Island organizations, government entities, healthcare providers, and community members held a virtual opioid summit called “Don’t Die HI.” The event was a response to a dangerous rise in fentanyl throughout the United States and the state of Hawaiʻi— particularly West Hawaiʻi.
In order for our students to thrive, their health and stability is foundational -- and a complex mix of social, economic, and pandemic-related pressures has made that foundation precarious. And it’s not just our students, but also those who support their success, like their families, neighbors, and teachers.
According to one member of the Hawaiʻi County Fentanyl Task Force, “Whatever we can do to support the education and prevention of fentanyl use has to be shared with the students and families.”
Fentanyl is dangerous and increasingly accessible to people of all ages. To address this issue, and ultimately save lives, we need the whole community on-board. We need education so that people know how to help themselves and others. We need lifesaving measures for all stages of opioid use, including prevention, anti-overdose drugs, and support for long-term recovery.
In light of this great challenge, we are grateful that the summit organizers continue to work collaboratively through the Hawaiʻi County Fentanyl Task Force*. They have three areas of focus:
Education & prevention
Treatment
Recovery & hope
TAKE ACTION
We encourage you to learn more and find ways to kōkua. Here are some suggestions for how to get involved, shared by Alysa Lavoie of West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center at the Don’t Die HI Summit:
Raise awareness of the issue by talking to friends and family
Watch the “Dead on Arrival” film on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iJgPmrLjkuo
Carry the anti-overdose treatment Narcan. You can get training and receive free Narcan from the Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center at https://www.hhhrc.org/naloxone
Call the CARES Line at 1-800-753 6879 for substance use support, linkage to treatment, and ʻohana coaching for families.
Join the Hawaiʻi County Fentanyl Task Force by contacting West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center.
Mahalo to West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center for providing information and resources to the community. Their Fentanyl Information page is a local hub for resources, task force information, and opioid news: https://www.westhawaiichc.org/programs/dontdiehi/ .
Mahalo to summit and task force organizers, including Hōkūpaʻa Navigation Council members Wally Lau, Richard Taaffe, and Dona Ahuna. To see summit resources and recordings, visit https://www.westhawaiichc.org/programs/dontdiehi/#1646091000035-4135b717-4412
*The Hawaiʻi County Fentanyl Task Force was recently covered in a KITV article on March 13th. You can learn more about the Task Force by reading the article here.
