[ad_1]
Lawmakers are attempting to address the opioid drug abuse problem through multiple bills.
The state has already received about $19 million in settlements with opioid distributors and manufacturers to fight drug abuse, but most of it has gone unspent.
State Rep. Dera Au Berati’s bill would create a fund and staff to manage the settlement, which is expected to be worth more than $100 million over the long term.
“There are provisions and we will discuss how quickly the funds can be handed over. But the other important thing is that we need to ensure that we comply with the requirements of the settlement agreement,” she said. Ta.
“We have to make sure that we address the prevention and mitigation that the state and the settled parties require, all of these things. You know, we also want to look at ways to make this stainable. One year. It’s not just about providing funding.”
Approximately $16 million has not yet been spent, but Grant Giventer, the Department of Health’s opioid settlement coordinator, said Friday that some agreements are pending.
Rep. Adrian Tam also introduced a bill that would require law enforcement officers to carry naloxone (better known as NARCAN), which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
“We have heard too many stories of people losing loved ones to fentanyl and drug abuse,” Tam said.
“It’s time to stop treating people who suffer from substance abuse like criminals and start treating them like victims so they can get the help they need to heal.”
Honolulu bars and clubs have already been required to carry the drug since January.
According to the Hawaii Island Task Force, someone dies from a drug overdose every 28 hours in the state.
Heather Lusk, executive director of the Hawai’i Health Harm Reduction Center, emphasized the need for further legislation to address opioid use.
“We desperately need treatment. We need on-demand treatment, we need detoxification, we need life-saving assistance with more naloxone, and we need more resources in the Opioid Litigation and Settlement Fund. That will help. We also need law enforcement partners,” she said.
“Again, with these funds we can really tackle not just opioid use disorder, but continued drug use as a whole, and not only will there be no suffering, but more people will survive and recover.” We can help you get on the path to.”
Both measures were considered by the Health and Homelessness Committee on Friday, but a decision was deferred to Wednesday.
[ad_2]
Source link
