Pubdate: Thu, 8 Aug 2002 Source: West Hawaii Today (HI) Contact: 2002 West Hawaii Today Website: http://westhawaiitoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/644 Author: Andrew Perala Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Note: For more on ice, medical cannabis and cannabis eradication in Hawaii go to http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii ICE SUMMITS SCHEDULED THIS MONTH The statistics are sobering: "More than 90 percent of all child - abuse cases are directly related to ice," said Don Bebee, executive director of Family Support Services of West Hawaii. "It's a huge problem and it's growing," said County Councilwoman Nancy Pisicchio, who has been involved in organizing community awareness. >From awareness to prevention, treatment and successful prosecution, that's the trajectory of two major conferences taking place later this month along the Kohala Coast. More than 250 health, social service and law enforcement professionals have signed up for a conference Aug. 14 - 15 at the Outrigger Waikoloa, twice the number anticipated, conference organizers said. Another 300 are anticipated at the invitation - only "Ice Summit," which is scheduled for Aug. 27. Participants will attempt to develop effective multiple - agency strategies from the federal to county levels against a scourge that so far has overwhelmed containment and control efforts. Ice, or crystal methamphetamine, is a stimulant that's appealing, but also destructive, to users and the entire community because of its ready availability, cheap price, long - lasting effects and possible sudden onset of violent, psychotic behavior. "A lot of us in human services have a huge problem to deal with," said Bebee. "We're all experiencing the same thing. It's a humongous problem." The problem is percolating to students in elementary school. With hundreds of children currently under the shield of Child Protective Services, criminal cases backed up a year or more due to lack of funding for processing drug charges, and with the offenders back on the streets until cases are brought to trial, the problem is more than critical, Pisicchio said. "They're back on the streets with the added pressures of unresolved possession charges," she said. "But even if we could prosecute all of them tomorrow, we couldn't handle all the cases...putting them in jail often won't solve their addiction." Pisicchio is pinning her hopes on the outside experts brought in to the Aug. 14 - 15 conference from the UCLA - Matrix Center for Addiction programs. With federally recognized achievement in responding to acute community crisis in methamphetamine drug abuse, the Matrix program of medical, behavioral, educational and 12 - step counseling programs could be a model for the county and state, said Pisicchio. "People in the battlefield will be able to link up with (effective) outside resources," she said. "We haven't even come close to containing this," said Bebee. "It's going to take all our efforts." For additional information about the forum, contact Family Support Services of West Hawaii 334-4116. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk