Question: How many people are dying of drug overdoses in Hawaii? There’s so much about this on the national news, but I don’t see any numbers from here.
Answer: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 179 people died of drug overdoses in Hawaii during the 12-month period ending March 2017. That was better than the year before (the 12-month period ending March 2016), when 187 people died, according to the state-by-state provisional accounting of drug overdose deaths.
Hawaii, which saw a 4.3 percent decline, was among only 10 states with fewer drug overdose deaths than the year before. The rest of the country saw increases, ranging from 0.8 percent (Montana) to 114.3 percent (District of Columbia).
The most people died in Florida, which counted 5,241 drug overdose deaths during the 2016-17 interval, a 45.7 percent increase from 3,596 deaths during the previous 12-month period.
Nationwide, 65,094 people died of drug overdoses during the most recent 12-month interval, up 18.8 percent from 54,786 deaths the previous period, according to the NCHS, which is a division of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Drugs cited in the deaths included several types of opioids, including heroin, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, codeine and fentanyl, plus other kinds of drugs, such as cocaine and methamphetamine.
A report released by Hawaii’s Department of Health two years ago said drugs — meaning illicit drugs, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications — were the underlying cause of death for 91 percent of all poisoning deaths in Hawaii from 2010 to 2014.
Q: How long can a person drive in Hawaii with a non-U.S. license?
A: For a year upon entry to the United States, assuming that their foreign driver’s license is valid and that they also have the required International Driving Permit (IDP) and a valid passport stamped with their arrival date, according to the city.
The driver’s license must be issued by a country that participates in the IDP program, which allows holders to drive in any country that recognizes the permit.
Q: Do you have to make one of those appointments to get rid of paint? I only have a few gallons, left over from when we painted our house years ago.
A: No, you may throw it in your household rubbish, after preparing it for disposal, according to the city’s Department of Environmental Services. You may harden the paint in the can, then throw the whole can away. Or you may use the “absorb and trash” method: Fill a plastic bag with absorbent material, such as shredded newspaper, rags or sawdust. Pour the paint into the bag; once it is absorbed, seal the bag and throw it in the garbage. Also throw away the empty cans. An oil-change box, which you can buy, would work the same way.
Mahalo
On Oct. 19, which was my birthday, we went to Kabuki to have dinner. I saw a couple across in another booth having dinner and having a Heineken. I asked my waitress to ask the man if he wanted another beer, and if he wanted one, to tell him that it was on the house since he was the 1,000th customer for the week. But I guess she must have been a Christian and wouldn’t play along and tell a fib. So he thanked me and wished me a happy birthday. A few minutes later they went to pay the bill and were ready to leave. The night manager told me that the couple picked up my tab. I went up and thanked them but did not get their names. But I did learn his birthday was on Oct. 21. I sure hope he had a great birthday. Mahalo to the nice couple, and may nothing but good things come into their lives. — Ron Kimura, Aiea
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
