Pubdate: Mon, 23 Dec 2002 Source: Honolulu Advertiser (HI) Contact: 2002 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Website: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/195 Author: Rob Hail Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Note: For more on ice and drug policy in Hawaii go to http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii KAHEALANI LATEST VICTIM OF 'ICE' PLAGUE We have all been witness to the destruction of thousands of Hawai'i families and the deterioration of our social fabric because of the disease called "ice" (crystal methamphetamine) that is rampaging through our Islands. As U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo has pointed out: * - Hawai'i has the worst crystal methamphetamine problem in the country with approximately 30,000 Hawai'i residents who are hard-core users and as many as 90,000 who are "recreational" users. (That's one in every 10 of us.) * - Substance abuse, with crystal meth as the No. 1 drug of choice, is associated with 90 percent of the 2,300 confirmed child-abuse cases in the state each year. * - Forty percent of people arrested in Honolulu test positive for methamphetamine use. No other city comes close. * - "Ice" users support their insatiable habit through burglaries, robberies, purse snatchings and car break-ins and thefts (7,500 auto thefts this year on O'ahu alone) bringing Hawai'i's theft rate to the highest in the nation. * - Hawai'i's most high-profile violence has been linked to crystal meth; this includes the lovely little angel, Kahealani Indreginal, who was taken from us. When is enough enough? When will we all begin to take responsibility for what is happening to our children and our community? As Kubo, our drug treatment professionals and our law enforcement providers all agree: We must provide more educational programs for our youth and extensive treatment programs for inmates and those on parole or probation. There are now hundreds in line for treatment each day who are unable to receive it. But we must do much more. Relying on our "professionals" alone will not work. Each of us has to take responsibility for our children and our community and do something. Everyone must get involved together: businesses, our elected officials, churches, Rotary and other civic-minded clubs, schools and, most important, our family, friends and neighbors. If we don't take action to eliminate this plague from our Islands, we will continue to be guilty of allowing it to destroy our community and our children. Let none of us ever forget cousin Kahealani. Rob Hail - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk