The eight major islands of Hawaii are not immune to the nation’s growing problem with illegal drugs, despite their distance from the U.S. mainland. Opioids such as heroin, and those available as prescription painkillers, are diverted here through aircraft, shipping companies and the U.S. Postal Service. Heroin is often transported into Hawaii through Honolulu International Airport, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Waismann Method
People living in Hawaii who have become dependent upon their prescription opiates have a place to turn. Waismann Method, located in southern California, provides complete and comprehensive opiate detox that’s performed in a hospital. We use intravenous medication that cleanses the opiates from patients’ opiate receptors while they rest lightly under deep sedation.
Our opiate treatment manages an otherwise tough withdrawal and symptoms develop and pass while patients are sedated. We don’t use harsh medications or opiate replacement drugs that could lead to a dependency. Our non-addicting intravenous medicines work quickly and safely to eliminate the physical addiction. Our total hospital stay is just a few days and patients can decide to return home or transition in our Domus Retreat aftercare facility.
Prescription Drug Abuse
Prescription drugs, including opiates, are part of Hawaii’s rave scene, where young people gather on isolated beaches, farms or in clubs, the agency reports. Opioids, including heroin, morphine and codeine attach to opiate receptors in the brain and body.
They produce a quick, intense high, which is followed by a period of calm and relaxation. In 2008, the DEA said it was most concerned with pharmaceutical opiates containing hydrocodone. This potent drug is one of the most abused prescription painkillers in Hawaii and is contained in drugs including Vicodin, Norco, Lorcet and Lortab. The DEA says hydrocodone is readily available in Honolulu and Hawaii counties.
All states are grappling with how to best control the illegal diversion of prescription opiates including OxyContin. These pharmaceuticals can be extremely expensive on the street, a reason why some users turn to heroin, which is often cheaper and easily accessible. The main methods for pharmaceutical diversion in Hawaii include doctor shopping, or going from doctor to doctor to obtain more than one supply.
Some healthcare workers steal pharmaceuticals for their own use or to sell. Prescription forgeries and falsifications are also a means people use to get their hands on these drugs. Some people who have legitimate prescriptions for painkillers also sell them to make money. Federal drug authorities also site indiscriminate prescribing by doctors as a factor in pharmaceutical diversion.
