A coalition of volunteers is hosting talk story sessions for friends and families impacted by addiction and drug overdose on Hawaii Island.
Over the last 15 years, fentanyl has become the leading cause of U.S. deaths in people ages 18 to 45 years old with overdose deaths among 10- to 19-year-olds increasing faster than any other age group.
One Big Island resident dies every 5 1/2 days from a drug overdose, which are mostly attributed to fentanyl, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, one resident death from an overdose occurred every 11 days.
Public concern and outcry regarding the prevalence of fentanyl grew drastically after the accidental overdose death of a 14-year old girl in west Hawaii in 2021. The tragedy ignited members of the community and health professionals to take action and create the Hawaii Island Fentanyl Task Force to combat the growing public threat.
Since its formation, HIFTF has prioritized education, prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery support in its mission to reduce addiction and stop drug overdoses on the island.
“There are families and individuals in our neighborhoods who are suffering from the loss of a loved one due to an overdose of opioids like fentanyl,” said HIFTF member Micah Alameda. “It is tragic, and more people are suffering than we know.”
In late June, the task force hosted a talk story session in Hilo for anyone who had lost a loved one to overdose, or has been affected by addiction first-hand or through family or friends.
“When recognizing our priorities, we saw that support services for people in recovery as well as people who have lost loved ones is a great place to start,” said HIFTF co-lead Dr. Kevin Kunz. “We are offering these talk stories for people to find support and a place to share their experiences and engage with folks without stigma and shame.”
Kunz and HIFTF co-lead Dr. Hannah Preston Pita, CEO of Big Island Substance Abuse Council, along with task force members Alameda, Tim Hansen and Michelle Kobayashi, met and subsequently recruited two new members — Laura Dvorak, a bereavement counselor at Hawaii Care Choices, and Will, a veteran and former addict who declined to provide his last name.
Dvorak decided to meet the task force to brainstorm how to provide services to more people.
“A lot of people are under the impression that bereavement support (at Hawaii Care Choices) is just for people who have lost someone in hospice care, but that is not the case,” Dvorak said. “We offer this grief support to anyone for free without insurance. However, I know it’s harder to look for support when someone you love dies from overdose or suicide, so I’m here to learn more myself.”
According to Kunz, losing a loved one to a drug overdose is different from other personal losses. Many people experience guilt for not doing enough, or guilt for feeling relieved that their loved one’s battle is finally over.
There is also an added layer of shame that comes from being judged by others who think addiction as a choice and not a disease that can affect anyone at anytime.
“No one chooses addiction when they start using substances. It is a disease. But in society, the moment you are labeled an addict, you disappear,” Kunz said. “The correlation between trauma and substance abuse is staggering and many don’t realize that.”
After returning home from his military service, Will began going to the VA and said he was overprescribed opioids to treat his PTSD. His usage ultimately led him to heroin.
Within the last two years, Will has been able to get clean after residential treatment through BISAC and unrelenting support from his mother.
“People like you guys — you save people’s lives,” he told the task force. “I was lucky to have support from my mom, but so many don’t have anyone to support them. I didn’t think it was possible for me, and I truly believe I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for my mom. It is rare to find someone who still sees you as a person and sees addiction as a disease.”
According to Will, he has been told that fentanyl has replaced heroin and is now easier to find.
“So many of my friends have died from fentanyl or were saved by Narcan at the last minute. There were some people I thought would make it out, but didn’t,” Will said. “This is the first time I’ve felt that I need to do something positive with my time. If I’m here, there are others that can be, too. They need to see someone relatable.”
While there is a focus on treatment and support, HIFTF believes that prevention and education is the best long-term option to combat the rising rate of death from addiction and overdose.
According to HIFTF, 90% of adults with addiction started using addictive substances before turning 20 years old, which makes informing and supporting island youth, their families and community contacts more imperative.
“I’ve met so many people who did not think this would ever happen to their family. They did not think it was possible, yet one in ten families will experience loss from overdose and addiction,” Kunz said. “We want to start the fight when it’s still upstream and not already over the waterfall.”
The talk story session inspired Dvorak to join the task force and begin developing a substance abuse counseling program.
Hawaii Care Choices currently offers a free, adult drop-in grief group from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Zoom every Tuesday. More information can be found at hawaiicarechoices.org.
After joining HIFTF, Will said he would do his part by giving Narcan out in the community while talking with people about their potential options.
HIFTF will be handing out free Narcan from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at KTA Waikoloa on Saturday, Aug. 24, and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at KTA Keauhou on Friday, Aug. 30.
For more information about HIFTF, its Narcan giveaway days, upcoming events and involvement, visit hiftf.org.
