We Must Remain Focused on Drug Addiction in Hawaiʻi
Despite recent findings that Hawaiʻi has among the lowest drug use in the U.S., now is not the time to reduce our particular focus on the more lethal drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl.
In a study released last year, state officials acknowledged nearly 200 drug deaths in 2020, with methamphetamine being the primary source. That number represented a five-year high. The study determined that even when supply was limited by the COVID lockdown and price increase, the demand remained intact.
Much of the focus by the medical and law enforcement establishments in the last two years has been addressing the worldwide COVID pandemic, but we must turn our attention to methamphetamine because it is clear that in the western half of America, methamphetamine is the “top drug involved in overdose deaths.”
Reports indicate that as much as “35 percent of men incarcerated in Honolulu were brought in with the drug (methamphetamine) in their system.” That is an astonishing figure and an indicator of how widespread methamphetamine use is in the state.
Sadly, Drug Enforcement Agents have seen an increase in fentanyl seizures in Hawaiʻi. This drug is “80-100 times stronger than morphine,” according to the DEA. Small amounts are potent enough to kill thousands of people. The powerful effects of fentanyl attracts not only users, but sellers of all stripes are also interested in the high number of sales possible with very small doses and a big monetary return.
We must also attack the growth of online drug sales. The growing savvy of young people finding sources is particularly concerning because purchased drugs online are often mixed with fentanyl, making them exponentially more dangerous. We cannot allow methamphetamine, coupled with the growth in its availability and use of fentanyl, to converge and create an even more explosive drug problem.
Vote for Gary Cordery for Governor 2022
Gary Cordery is a servant leader. Hawai’i needs a governor who is willing to fight for the people: someone who honors others first, pursues the truth, and protects the liberty of all.