HONOLULU -
Deaths by drug overdose are at a new high in Hawaii.
Governor David Ige introduced a new initiative in hopes of turning back the tide.
The Governor's plan will allocate $10 Million to a collaboration of State health agencies to fight Opioid addiction.
Drug overdose accounts for 23 percent of all fatal injuries according to the Department of Health.
Hawaii ranks 43rd in the nation for these types of deaths but a collective of lawmakers and doctors think the problem could be subdued even further because of the Governor's initiative.
"This is hitting families. It's tearing families apart. It really is ripping into all of our communities. So this is about getting ahead of the curve and making sure we can address this as from a multi-departmental approach," Sen. Jill Tokuda said.
Lawmakers and Health experts agree that increasing the quality of education and treatment to drug addiction in Hawaii needs to improve in lieu of litigation.
http://www.kitv.com/story/35873132/governors-plan-will-allocate-10m-to-fight-opioid-addiction