Pubdate: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 Source: West Hawaii Today (HI) Copyright: 2003 West Hawaii Today Contact: http://westhawaiitoday.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/644 Author: Karen Iwamoto Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Note: To read more about the "ice epidemic" in Hawaii, go to http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii . NO QUICK FIX FOR 'ICE' FIGHT A top law enforcement official said the state does not have tough enough laws for drug users and repeat offenders and pledged to help Big Island police combat the crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," epidemic. "Any system which allows habitual offenders to be repeatedly sentenced to either probation or given early parole is not working," U.S. District Attorney Ed Kubo said Monday evening at the Lion's Club of Kona monthly meeting. He said the man accused of killing Honolulu police officer Glen Gaspar had 14 convictions and had tested positive for "ice." Kubo arrived at the meeting armed with statistics: * Hawaii has more "ice" users than any other state in the nation. In 2001, The Queen's Medical Center admitted 6,554 people for substance abuse, including 2,089 "ice" users. * Drugs account for 90 percent of about 2,300 confirmed child abuse cases each year and "ice" is the number one drug involved. * About 7.5 percent of Hawaii high school seniors surveyed said they had tried drugs, compared with 4.4 seniors nationwide. * Property crimes in Hawaii have increased, as have violent crimes - both of which have links to "ice" use. But he did not have a solution. "I don't have the answers," Kubo admitted. He said he hoped to get the community more involved in the process as the county can't afford to do it on its own. "They don't have that much money," he said, adding even with the $4 million the Bush administration had set aside to combat "ice" on the Big Island - $350,000 of which is ear - marked for a drug testing center - much is still to be done. Addicts typically take six months to recover and medical insurance covers only 30 days, he said. In addition, drug rehabilitation centers typically have 150 - 200 people on waiting lists, he said. "The question is, do we want to devote all of our funding to enforcement and then not have money to properly rehabilitate people or do we want to spend the money on rehabilitation and have all of these "ice" users going around giving this drug to all of our kids?" He had no answer. However, he did promise more collaboration between state, county and federal agencies and said he would devote much of his time in supporting Big Island police. "Ten days ago, federal agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration along with Big Island police, arrested two men in Hilo," he said. "Both were charged with attempting to possess six pounds of methamphetamine and with being an illegal user of drugs in possession of fire arms." Kubo said the federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau will open an office on the Big Island and FBI officers already are stationed on the Big Island. Police Chief Lawerence Mahuna, who also attended the meeting, said even with money provided by the federal government, even with the Police Department forming "ice" task forces, police still need community support. "Without that, we don't have enough resources to ferret out every drug dealer," he said. "Information is what we need. Anything the community can tell us." - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk