Honolulu mandates that bars, nightclubs, restaurants carry anti overdose medication

Honolulu set a precedent on Monday as the first U.S. city to mandate bars, clubs, and restaurants to have on hand the overdose prevention medicine, naloxone. Highlighting the escalating opioid crisis across the U.S, Tyler Dos Santos Tam, a Honolulu City Council member, noted that like defibrillators and fire extinguishers, naloxone should be easily accessible and available in numerous locations for emergencies. He expressed hope that the new law would be instrumental in saving lives and serve as a model for other American cities.

Also referred to by its brand name, Narcan, the medication is lauded by law enforcement and medical officials as an invaluable resource for curtailing opioid overdose fatalities. Distributed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as recently as early September, the nasal spray version of the drug can potentially resuscitate an individual amid an opioid overdose.

The Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research stated in March that naloxone is a crucial component in tackling the overdose crisis, underscoring the agency's concerted efforts to combat the problem. In 2021, Hawaii reportedly had the highest per capita opioid overdose deaths, claiming 221 lives as per the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.