Lee family appreciates assistance with bonsai
We are sending this letter of thanks to the people of Kaua‘i for this assistance in the recovery of bonsai stolen from our home on Oct. 14. Because of the care and support from so many people, including family, friends and so many folks we don’t know, I am happy to say the trees were returned to us on Sunday, Nov. 14.
To you all, we say: thank you, thank you, thank you.
Kaua‘i Police Department personnel played a major part. They worked tirelessly behind the scenes from the time the theft report was filed to the moment the bonsai were returned to us. Special mahalos to Det. Barry DeBlake, Officer R. Kerry, Officer Kamie Imai, Officer Evan Kurabayashi, Sgt. Darla Abbatiello, Officer B. Nance and Officer I. Yum.
Lee Family, Po‘ipu
Children at risk from fentanyl
A large number of narcotics on Kaua‘i laced with fentanyl means Kaua‘i’s children are at risk of overdosing and dying.
For example, young kids may see their parents taking meth with fentanyl and secretly take some from their parent’s supply in their home or in a homeless camp.
“The number of drug overdoses in Hawai‘i is climbing and reached a five-year high in 2020,” according to a High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area report.
A total of 243 of Hawai‘i’s 262 drug-related deaths in 2020 were accidental,” reports the KNHO2 article, “Fentanyl from Mexican cartels coming into Hawai‘i as overdoses rise.”
Perhaps the Kaua‘i police can adopt fentanyl-sniffing dogs when they make a raid. AZfamily.com reports “Fentanyl-detecting K9 to be part of breakthrough training for Arizona drug dogs. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office recently acquired a K9 that can sniff out the deadly drug.”
The Hawai‘i Department of Education must educate kids that narcotics are dangerous, especially fentanyl, which kills.
Perhaps our Kaua‘i U.S. naval base working with the FBI can intercept boats from Mexico transporting fentanyl from Mexico to Kaua‘i to save our children and families from accidental death.
Will Davis, Lihu‘e
If this Fentanyl is a prescription drug for pain medicine for cancer patients, how can people die of overdose. I saw the CDC’s statistics on deaths. It has almost doubled for the since 2018. 64,178 deaths from drug overdose. How’s this possible to count this as a drug overdose? When the patient is chronically ill with cancer. Some what a misleading statistics to drug overdose, when the illness is cancer. Pain medicine.
I do not understand this. They need the medicine, so they still prescribe it. I don’t think Biden can change this thing from occurring more or less. If it does increase, deaths from overdose.
Zchechuan, Is this a serious question? People who do not have cancer or a prescription get the drug on the street and take too much of it. That’s how people OD on Fentanyl. As to the original letter, any parent whose child watches them ingest speed laced with Fentanyl should have their children taken away. Not exactly fit parents. I see this problem as more of a parental problem as opposed to a failure of law enforcement.
13 citizens have died of Covid On Kauai altogether. 5 children and you adults died from drug overdoses in September alone on Kauai. Daily reports on Covid cases, drug deaths, not so much.
Please see the Coast Guard’s drug interdiction and law enforcement mission at https://www.gocoastguard.com/about-the-coast-guard/discover-our-roles-missions/drug-interdiction
Does the coast guard check at every pier on every island for drugs being smuggled into the island from other state, other islands, or other countries? It does not appear they are doing their job.
Will Davis, the U S Navy has no law enforcement authority. That’s the kuleana of the Coast Guard. And drugs come in mostly from other islands and not likely directly from Mexico.
Hey, here’s an idea. Make better life decisions. Don’t do drugs to begin with. But if you choose to do drugs, like any other bad decision it comes with consequences. So don’t be surprised when people don’t seem to care about the results you asked for by choice.