Make Alzheimer’s support a priority

Even though the number of people affected is alarming — in Hawaii, there are 27,000 individuals who have Alzheimer’s and 66,000 unpaid family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s — there continues to be a lack of priority placed on implementing the Hawaii State Plan on Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (ADRD), which was created in 2014.

House Bill 1916 would require the Executive Office on Aging to implement and update the state plan along with allocating funds to do so.

With Alzheimer’s as the sixth leading killer, and as the number of people affected continues to increase, we find our state ill-prepared to provide the necessary services and support to families affected by the disease.

Implementation of the plan is crucial and passage of HB 1916 is necessary to ensure that the plan is implemented.

We need Hawaii to make Alzheimer’s a priority now before it’s too late.

Christine Payne

Executive director, Alzheimer’s Association Aloha Chapter

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Article on opioid abuse misleading

The article titled, “Study finds opioids don’t beat out other painkillers” (Star-Advertiser, To Your Health, March 12) is journalistic sensationalism at best and dangerous at worst.

The medical “trial” discussed in this piece consisted of a mere 240 middle-age patients in a VA hospital. Eighty-seven percent of the subjects were male, and 86 percent were white.

Even one of the researchers is quoted at the very end of this long article as saying, “These results might not apply to pain patients in general, since VA patients aren’t representative of the country as a whole.” In other words, the conclusions were worthless.

The public needs real scientific research in order to find solutions to the apparent widespread abuse of prescription painkillers. It seems reasonable to assume that many of your readers saw the headline, maybe read a paragraph or two, and believed this was a real breakthrough in the understanding of pain management.

How can individuals make informed choices about their medical needs when an unpro- fessional study is published as scientific fact? Hard evidence, indeed.

Laura Irelan

Kaneohe

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Trained teacher can take down rifleman

I read two very negative letters about teachers being no match against a gunman with an AR-15 or any rifle (“Teacher with gun is no match for AR-15,” Star-Advertiser, March 11; “Teachers couldn’t shoot down gunman,” Star-Advertiser, March 13).

As someone recognized as distinguished in pistol and rifle by the National Rifle Association, I hope that teachers do not accept their opinions. Teachers are going to be right in the middle of the melee, should it happen.

Teachers have a choice. Granted, if there is too much distance between teachers and the person with a rifle, they are at a disadvantage. They must choose the correct time to attack.

If they are in a classroom, where the man with a rifle would most likely be within 50 meters, they can put that rifleman down with one shot with a handgun.

But, first, they must want to do it. They must have the stomach to do it.

Albert Miral

Ewa Beach

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Put warning signs in prominent places

Mahalo for the Star-Advertiser’s suggestion to place warning signs at trailheads where there are frequent rescues, accidents, and/or deaths (“Hikers need warnings about dangerous trails,” Star-Advertiser, Off The News, March 13).

These signs should be prominent and specific about the dangers, by listing the average annual number of rescues, accidents, and/or deaths at that site. Similar prominent signs should be posted at popular beaches and snorkeling spots. For instance, broken necks are frequent at Sandy Beach, but there is no warning about this.

Richard Melton

Kailua

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‘Pro-lifers’ selective about protecting life

It appears that many Christians are opposed to the bill to allow physician-assisted suicide as one choice for the right of self- determination by terminally ill patients, and likewise to abortion of any kind.

Where was the opposition of these “pro-lifers” when the war drums were beating for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, or various other wars like the one in Yemen? Where is their opposition to capital punishment?

Those who are hypocritical have a weak case for their opposition to the bill.

Leslie E. Sponsel

Hawaii Kai

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Compassion should allow aid in dying

I have been a witness to a number of family members dying. Each time has been a deeply painful and profound experience for both myself and all of the loved ones involved. I know I cannot speak for those who have died, but I feel very certain within the depths of my soul that a number of them would have welcomed having the option of “aid in dying.” And even if they didn’t choose that route, I can only imagine the sense of peace it would have given them to know it was available.

I also recall and have repeated more than once that we humans are more compassionate to our pets when it comes to terminal illness and unremitting chronic pain than we are to ourselves.

No one who truly cares for another human being likes seeing or knowing that someone is suffering a prolonged, painful demise, when in this day and age it could be alleviated.

Randy Iona

Mililani