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Question: Is the prescription drug disposal only on Oahu? I missed it last year.
Answer: No. Ten collection points, five of which are on Oahu, are scheduled to accept expired or unneeded prescription medication for anonymous disposal at Saturday’s National Take-Back Initiative. The event is organized by law enforcement agencies so people can clear their homes of potentially lethal medication that could be misused, intentionally or by accident.
Most collection points will be drive-thrus. All will accept tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of prescription drugs, along with vaping devices from which batteries have been removed, according to a news release from the state Department of the Attorney General.
Needles and syringes will not be accepted, regardless of whether they are new or used, it said.
Drop-offs will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the following locations:
Oahu
>> Kailua fire station, 211 Kuulei Road
>> State Capitol, drive-thru along Beretania Street
>> Pearl City police station, 1100 Waimano Home Road
>> Kahala Mall, parking lot near corner of Kilauea and Waialae avenues
>> Schofield Barracks (only for those with base access), 344 Heard Ave., Building 556
Hawaii island
>> Kona police station, 74-611 Hale Makai, Kailua-Kona
>> Ka Waena Lapa‘au Medical Complex, upper parking lot at corner of Ponahawai and Komohana streets in Hilo
Kauai
>> Kauai Police Department, 3990 Kaana St., Lihue
Maui
>> Wailuku police station, 55 Mahalani St.
>> Kihei police station, 2201 Piilani Highway
For more information, see dea.gov/takeback day.
Q: How do I apply for a Department of Health birth certificate, and why do I need it for a passport? Why is my regular birth certificate not eligible?
A: You can order a certified copy of your Hawaii birth certificate from the state Department of Health online, by mail or in person. The link to schedule an appointment for in-person service on Oahu, as well as links to instructions for ordering online or by mail statewide, can be found at health.hawaii.gov/ vitalrecords.
Obtaining a U.S. passport requires the applicant to submit primary evidence of U.S. citizenship, commonly a U.S. birth certificate, according to the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. To qualify as primary evidence, the birth certificate must:
>> Be issued by the city, county or state of birth
>> List applicant’s full name, date of birth and place of birth
>> List parent(s)’ full names
>> Have the signature of the city, county or state registrar
>> Have the date filed with registrar’s office (must be within one year of birth)
>> Have the seal of issuing authority
We’re not sure what you meant by “regular birth certificate,” but a baptismal certificate or other church record, for example, would not count as primary evidence, although it could be considered secondary evidence if necessary. Read more at travel.state.gov.
Mahalo
Mahalo to all the people of Kauai who have been supportive, generous and so very kind after the heartbreaking loss of our beloved Mack DeAndre Lewis. Deepest gratitude to Gina with Life’s Bridges, Detective Hsu, Joshua at Kauai Memorial Gardens, and everyone at Hilton Garden Inn for embracing us with compassion, providing expert and timely advice, and helping start on the road to healing. Your humanity taught us about the Aloha spirit, and it will always be with us. — Irina, Zach and Arin Lewis
(Editor’s note: Mack Lewis, a 50-year-old visitor from California, died April 18 of an apparent drowning while snorkeling in waters off Poipu Beach, according to the Kauai Police Department).
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
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