By January, around 850 bars and clubs in Honolulu will be required to carry the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. It's commonly known by the brand name Narcan.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed Bill 28 into law on Tuesday. The new law makes Honolulu the first U.S. city to make such a requirement. It's a move to equip potentially high-risk venues with a life-saving drug.
Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam told HPR earlier this month that the Liquor Commission was instrumental in getting this legislation passed.
"I think this is a really bright spot and working with them to help get this medication out to our bars and on-premise locations where alcohol is served," Dos Santos-Tam said. "They've done a really good job of working with my office and working with the (city's) Emergency Services Department as well."
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol use while using opioids can increase the risk of overdose and death.
The Honolulu Liquor Commission will distribute starter dose packages of the nasal spray to venues.
Elsewhere on Hawaiʻi Island, officials distributed more than 700 doses of Narcan to bars, hotels and nightclubs earlier this month.
