LIHU‘E — The public is invited to participate in the county’s fourth annual Health and Wellness Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Lihu‘e Civic Center breezeway between the Mo‘ikeha and Pi‘ikoi buildings. The free event is
LIHU‘E — The public is invited to participate in the county’s fourth annual Health and Wellness Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Lihu‘e Civic Center breezeway between the Mo‘ikeha and Pi‘ikoi buildings.
The free event is being hosted in recognition of September being National Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month as well as Women’s Health Month, a news release states.
The theme for this year’s fair is Join the Voices of Recovery — Now More Than Ever! The goal is to raise awareness about substance use disorders and celebrate the millions of Americans in recovery who live healthy and productive lives.
More than 22 million people in the United States have been classified with substance use disorders in the past year, states a mayoral proclamation announcing the event. The proclamation was presented to Theresa Koki, head of the county’s anti-drug office.
The fair is designed to educate the public as well as specific groups on how daily and increased stress can contribute to substance abuse. Effective treatment is available and recovery is possible, the release says.
Information on a wide variety of health concerns will be available at the fair, including stress management, recovery assistance, healthy lifestyles, drug prevention, addiction, enforcement and treatment, and glucose and blood pressure tests.
“I believe it is important for the County of Kaua‘i to offer its employees and their families as well as the public current information on health concerns,” said Koki, anti-drug coordinator. “With our support, we can help those that need our assistance to lead more productive and fulfilling lives, both personally and professionally.”
Alcohol abuse and dependence have the potential to destroy the body and the lives of individuals and their families. According to the latest Centers for Disease Control Prevention data for 2008, there are approximately 79,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use each year in the United States, making excessive alcohol use the third-leading lifestyle-related cause of death for the nation, according to the proclamation.
Alcohol plays a role in accidents, Hawai‘i being ranked fourth for alcohol-related accidents. Of the 107 deaths by car crashes in 2008 in Hawai‘i, 42 were caused by alcohol.
Methamphetamine, or “ice,” is the drug of choice in Hawai‘i, according to the National Drug Intelligence Center.
Meth users tend to be violent and can endanger those around them. The Hawai‘i Meth Project reports that meth use in Hawai‘i increased 33 percent over the past year compared to 2008, and is up 22 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year.
The NDIC said marijuana is widely available and frequently abused in Hawai‘i, especially in teen-aged youth. It is also produced locally and Hawai‘i consistently ranks among the top five in the number of cannabis plants eradicated.
In addition to the information and tests, the Committee on the Status of Women will be hosting a cooking demonstration and a financial planning seminar during the fair.
Senior photo identification and mini-massages will also be offered as part of the offerings by representatives of more than 30 organizations having informational tables.
Representatives will also be available for questions.
The Health and Wellness Fair is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse, and the Kaua‘i County Anti-Drug Office and the Committee on the Status of Women.
For more information, call Koki at 241-4925.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
