Kaua‘i County Council voice concerns for drug use in public spaces

LIHU‘E — Since September, emergency service provider American Medical Response and the Kaua‘i Police Department have administered emergency anti-opioid nasal spray Narcan at least 23 times on island since September, according to officials.

The Kaua‘i County Council, with support of county administration, has passed a resolution acknowledging the increase of opioid drugs, including fentanyl, on Kaua‘i, and encouraged heightened enforcement within drug-free zones.

This comes off a September incident where two women were found unresponsive on the ground at Kapa’a Ball Park, both exhibited signs of drug overdoses. One struggled to breathe, while the other was not breathing at all.

When police arrived on scene, bystanders were already performing CPR. Patrol officers took over, administering Narcan to both women. They were successfully revived and later transported to Wilcox Medical Center by ambulance.

The purpose of this resolution, which is not legally binding, is to “raise awareness of this issue with the goal of shielding our youth from both the dangers of direct drug use and the indirect emotional and social effects of being exposed to drug activities in public places where they are entitled to feel especially safe,” according to the resolution.

The resolution, introduced by councilmembers Bernard Carvalho and Billy DeCosta, goes further to remind the public that “drug-related activities will not be tolerated, and heightened enforcement will be sought for applicable offenses” near schools, public transportation, public parks or public housing.

“Everybody should know that should you decide to do this in these (safe-space) areas, it’s not a slap on the wrist anymore,” Carvalho said. “We’ve got to take it to the next level. We’ve tried our best, overall, as leaders, to do prevention work and support that, but it’s happening as we speak today.”

Carvalho pointed to his own grandson who was playing football during the incident.

“It’s all the surrounding youth that could be affected by this kind of activity within our parks, within our schools,” Carvalho said.

The resolution, he continued, came about after speaking with KPD Chief Todd Raybuck and the Department of Education.

Mayor Derek Kawakami recently issued a proclamation committing to keeping these drug-free and safe spaces safe.

“The whole community is trying to wrap our arms around this problem that we just cannot solve ourselves,” Kawakami, who submitted a brief video to the council voicing his support of the resolution, said.

While the resolution doesn’t force the KPD to increase its enforcement, Carvalho said that there have already been discussions on getting more officers on the ground patrolling these areas.

At the council’s Dec. 1 meeting, KPD accepted a donation from Malama Pono Health Services for a 60-piece Narcan supply to assist in reducing overdose mortality.

Prevention, still, is on the mind of councilmembers.

“The mental health crisis is connected to this, broadly,” Vice Chair Mason Chock said. “I think, as a community to have those opportunities (and) … operate in ways for our community to interface with services is really key.”

Chock said he’s been working with public safety to have access to resources available to them and the public.

“If we can combine these strategies, it will be much more successful,” Chock said.

For more information on opioids in Hawai‘i and the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, including where it can be purchased, visit hawaiiopioid.org.

The Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center offer information on how community members can learn how to respond to overdoses and access Narcan. More information can be found at hhhrc.org.