2023 fentanyl statistics. Photo Courtesy: Hawai‘i Police Department
As part of its continuing community outreach about the dangers of fentanyl, the Hawai‘i Police Department provides monthly updates on the amount of fentanyl related arrests (possession/distribution) in Hawai‘i County and the quantity of fentanyl recovered for the preceding month.
During the month of October 2023, there was a total of three fentanyl related arrests, three in Area I (east Hawai‘i) and zero in Area II (west Hawai‘i). Police recovered a total of 43.69 grams of illicit fentanyl last month, including 1.79 grams in Area I and 41.9 grams in Area II. The Hawai‘i Police Department recovered a total of 312 fentanyl pills, with zero recovered in Area I and 312 recovered in Area II.
In recent years, the use of illicit fentanyl has reached epidemic proportions on the mainland and Hawai‘i. Criminal drug networks are mixing this dangerous synthetic opioid into illegal counterfeit pills and selling them as legitimate prescription pills, often with deadly consequences.
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