Pubdate: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI) Contact: 2002 Honolulu Star-Bulletin Website: http://www.starbulletin.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/196 Author: Michelle Allen Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment) Note: For more on ice eradication in Hawaii go to http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii USING ICE DAMAGES BRAIN PERMANENTLY Your Nov. 14 article "Windward crime wave alarms residents" accurately pointed out the shortage of police officers here as well as the sad but true criminal effects of the "ice" epidemic upon Windward Oahu. As a health-care provider, may I add that this drug has similarly affected the mental health-care community as well. There are financial and resource costs to ice use, beyond the most obvious costs of crime and the effects upon the families of people using ice. Ice induces biochemical changes in the brain that mimic mental illness, and eventually these changes are permanent. The mental-health community has seen a major onslaught of people in psychiatric crises induced by ice use. The Honolulu Police Department needs the fiscal resources to recruit good police officers to handle the crime problem caused by ice use. Our mental-health resources also need the proper attention and resources to deal with this ever-growing problem. Michelle Allen Kailua - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk