This year a bill, SB 2096, to advance the lowering of the blood alcohol concentration level, failed to get a hearing in either chamber of the state Legislature. It was a missed opportunity that could cost lives.
I’ve been in recovery for 25 years. I know the damage that alcohol addiction can unleash. That’s why I have dedicated my energies to providing intervention services to help young people caught in the cycle of drug or alcohol addiction.
I heard someone say recently that alcohol is one of the most popular commodities. But it brings with it very high social costs. I believe it is a gateway drug that too many adolescents reach for to help them deal with trauma in their lives. The recent reported deaths of teenagers from fentanyl overdoses should wake us all up to doing more to ensure better policies to address alcohol and drug addiction.
We started Keala Foundation because we realized that our troubled teens on Kaua‘i have nowhere to turn when they face challenges that must seem overwhelming. We have opened gyms in Anahola, Po‘ipu and Kekaha, where we know there are vulnerabilities in the community that need to be addressed. Access to the gyms and intervention camps are completely free. Parents looking for help should go to our website and let us know if they need help or want to enroll a family member.
We know our programs work. We have created curriculum that helps kids process trauma without resorting to drugs or alcohol. We have been actively using it for the past 10 years. Conservatively, I estimate that we have turned hundreds of lives around over the past two decades, and saved many, many families from the grief and tragedy too often associated with addiction.
My generation is guilty of having normalized alcohol consumption as a safe, recreational activity. We have not been honest enough about the toll it takes on lives, young and old. We hope to expand our work to the other islands and make access to the resources we offer available to more people. Because one thing we do know: access to resources is not readily available when people are in crisis.
We are grateful to everyone who has funded and supported our work because they see and believe in the results we have achieved.
Next month, Sept. 17, is the Ultimate Hawaiian Trail Run, a fun event that helps raise money for the work the Keala Foundation does to support the youth of Kaua‘i. It draws athletes from around the world. But you don’t have to be an athlete to take part. Anyone and everyone can participate, because there are options that allow participants to choose the kind of trail that suits them best. Yes, there is an easy trail, and others that are more challenging. So go to https://kealafoundation.com and sign up today.
Anything we can do to bring about greater awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drug addiction; anything we can do to make it harder to drink and drive, will save lives.
Join us as we work towards creating communities that protect our youth from the ravages of alcohol consumption and drug addiction. It’s the least we can do for our children.
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Aaron Hoff is the founder of the Keala Foundation. He can be reached through the website or at aaron@kealafoundation.com.
