A look at the island’s opioid crisis

America has a drug problem.

In 2016, more than 2 million Americans had an addiction to prescription or illicit opioids, while 175 Americans died daily from drug overdoses.

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury and death in the United States, according to national statistics.

In October, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis facing the country a national public health emergency.

And on Kauai, police have seen an increase in the use of black tar heroin over the last two years.

In 2015, KPD seized a total of 0.8 grams of heroin, and in 2016, a total of 9.9 grams, said Bryson Ponce, Kauai Police Department’s Investigative Services Bureau assistant chief.

In 2017, KPD seized a total of 526.2 grams of black tar heroin. So far in 2018, KPD seized a total of 80.8 grams.

The increase, Ponce said, is a serious concern because heroin use has been linked to violent crimes.

“In addition to these drugs being shipped into Hawaii via mail services, they are also being transmitted via the dark web on the internet. People are now using crypto-currency to purchase these dangerous drugs,” Ponce said.

Because it’s more difficult for drug traffickers to obtain large amounts of prescription drugs, Ponce said they are turning to street drugs.

“With this influx of illicit street drugs, KPD has become more aggressive in enforcement efforts. We continue to focus on quickly identifying dealers and disrupting the flow of these drugs into Kauai,” Ponce said.

When Kauai’s Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar started his job 10 years ago, he said it was possible to have one deputy prosecutor handle all of the drug cases in addition to other cases. Now, he said they have three deputies handling drug cases full time.

“Those cases almost all involve opioids and/or methamphetamine,” Kollar said.

The problem with opioids, he said, is that it does not discriminate.

“Everyone on Kauai knows or is related to someone struggling with addiction, whether or not they know it,” Kollar said.

The main reason youth on Kauai turn to drugs, said Aaron Hoff, founder of the Keala Foundation, is because they get bored. Born and raised on Kauai, Hoff is no stranger to substance abuse.

“I started when I was 9 or 10 years old. I always got in trouble. That’s how I got attention in my family,” he said.

The foundation helps youth via mentors, exercise and setting goals.

In recent years, Kollar said opioid use has increased on Kauai because pills are harder to get so addicts are turning to street drugs.

“Street drugs are extremely dangerous because they are usually adulterated with other substance like fentanyl or other extremely potent synthetic opioids,” Kollar said.

Because the pills have had other substances added to them, Kollar said it makes users susceptible to overdoses.

“The community must do all they can to ensure children never start down this road,” he said. “No one wakes up one day saying, ‘Today I want to become a drug addict,’” Kollar said. “It starts with an injury and a prescription or it starts at a party when someone is intoxicated and makes a bad decision.”

From the first time someone tries an opioid, it begins rewiring their brain, which is why undoing the damage caused by drug addiction requires immense work and commitment, Kollar said.

“By the time a drug addict comes into the criminal justice system, so much harm has already occurred,” Kollar said. “We need to focus on the front end with prevention and interdiction.”

Which is why the Keala Foundation exists, to create an environment for Kauai’s kids to come to that will cultivate a healthy lifestyle. The program aims to equip kids with the necessary tools so when the time comes, they can defend and protect themselves when they are faced with the decision to start using drugs.

“These kids are going to brush up with drugs and alcohol,” Hoff said. “It’s inevitable.”

Within the next four months or so, Hoff said he is planning on starting an out patient drug treatment program on Kauai.

In late November, Kauai’s Adolescent Treatment and Healing Center is scheduled to open.

It will be the first on-island treatment facility.

If an individual is struggling with addiction, Kollar said they shouldn’t be ashamed to ask for help.

“There are people out there who will give selflessly of their time and energy to help you,” he said.

The County of Kauai’s Life’s Choices office has a list of available resources. An additional resource for addicts facing non-violent felony drug possession charges is Kauai’s Drug Court.

Once an individual is accepted into the program, Kollar said they will enter treatment. The length of their treatment depends on the person’s needs.

“If they succeed in the program, their case is dismissed. It’s really an honor for me to participate as the prosecuting attorney at Drug Court graduation ceremonies and see how the participants have turned their lives around,” Kollar said.

At any given time, there are 60 to 70 Drug Court clients in the program, he said.

Because the process of getting a search warrant is time consuming, the prosecutor’s office is working with the judiciary to establish pilot projects that would allow for electronic review and approval of search warrants.

“We are trying to streamline that in a legal and effective way,” Kollar said. “We were the first county in the state to implement telephonic search warrants for drunk driving cases and we would like to be the first on this too.”