A Hawaii County Council committee last week supported two measures aimed at addressing fentanyl-related overdoses across the island.

Read more A journeyman no more: Seahawks’ Sam Darnold has found stability in Seattle

A Hawaii County Council committee last week supported two measures aimed at addressing fentanyl-related overdoses across the island.

The first would equip the Hawaii Police Department with portable devices capable of detecting trace amounts of fentanyl. The second would allow for the installation of distribution boxes for naloxone — a fast-acting overdose reversal medication — at county buildings in Hilo and Kona.

Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that can be lethal even in small doses and has been identified as a driving force behind overdose deaths on the island.

According to the Hawaii Island Fentanyl Task Force and data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Hawaii County has an average of one overdose death every eight days. The CDC recorded 42 overdose deaths in Hawaii County in 2025.

During that same year, HPD recovered nearly nearly 2 pounds of illicit fentanyl and more than 550 fentanyl pills.

HPD Lt. Kelly Moniz, a member of the Vice Division — the unit tasked with targeting drug-related crimes — spoke at the meeting in support of obtaining two hand-held mass spectrometers for the department to allow officers to accurately test for fentanyl in the field.

“This is to help us fight fentanyl on the island,” he said. “Right now, one of the holes that we have is field testing fentanyl.”

Currently, he said, officers do not have a way to test for the presence of the drug on-site without potentially putting themselves in harm’s way.

“There’s no real good way to test it, and the only way that we test it now, it actually exposes us,” he said. “We have to open the bag, get a sample and test it. This device will limit our exposure to the fentanyl.”

He said it would also aid the department in filing more fentanyl-related criminal charges by allowing officers to confirm the presence of the drug more quickly and without having to rely on the crime lab in Hilo, which he noted is not available 24/7.

While one device would be allocated for each side of the island, he said he believed it would be especially impactful for the west side.

Read more Two weather disturbances are likely to become cyclones

“It’s actually more critical for Kona because Kona actually has to drive the drugs into Hilo to get it tested, which takes up more time,” he said. “We only have 48 hours to charge somebody once they’re arrested, and some of our investigations take the full 48 hours for them to get charged.”

Kona Councilwoman Rebecca Villegas expressed support for the measure during the meeting.

“(I’m) very grateful to see this coming online and the use of this technology in order to provide you guys with the tools necessary, keep you safe, and remove fentanyl from our streets, and to be able to get the evidence necessary to prosecute those that are putting our community in jeopardy,” she said.

The devices would be paid for with a grant through the U.S. Department of Justice.

The committee voted unanimously to send the resolution to the full council with a favorable recommendation.

Council members were equally supportive of the proposal to approve the installation of new naloxone distribution boxes at county buildings.

As part of a statewide effort from the Department of Health to make the medication more readily available, the boxes would be provided and restocked by the state and available at no charge to residents.

“So, basically, it’s just another way for our community to be able to get naloxone whenever they need it,” said Erin Samura, an executive assistant in the mayor’s office focused on health, equity and human services. “Anyone is able to get it. The naloxone is free for the community members, and it also comes to us from the state, so at no cost to the county at this time. ”

She said boxes will first be installed at the Hilo County Building and West Hawaii Civic Center, with plans to expand to other locations in the future.

The measure to approve the plan also passed the committee with a favorable recommendation and will be forwarded to the full council for a vote.

Read more Drew Brees overcame odds to headline 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

Email Grace Inez Adams at [email protected].