Fentanyl Test Strips Save Lives. Why Are They Illegal In Hawaii? State Sen. Joy San Buenaventura plans to introduce a bill this session to decriminalize the test strips as Hawaii confronts more overdoses.
With one person dying every 11 days on the Big Island from a drug overdose, often involving fentanyl, experts say it’s hard to believe that fentanyl test kits are not readily available at local drug stores, health clinics or nonprofits that serve addicts in Hawaii.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention views fentanyl test strips as a low-cost method of helping prevent drug overdoses and reducing harm, and they’re available for purchase online. But the strips are illegal in Hawaii.
Under state law, fentanyl test strips are classified as drug paraphernalia. Anyone possessing a single strip could be subject to a fine of up to $500. And any adult who provides a fentanyl test strip to a minor can be charged with a class B felony.
Kimo Alameda, head of the Big Island Fentanyl Task Force, said he was shocked when he found out. He had been distributing Narcan, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, along with fentanyl test strips, when police mentioned he shouldn’t be distributing the strips because they are illegal.
Fentanyl Test Strips Save Lives. Why Are They Illegal In Hawaii?
