U.S. Congressman Ed Case, Mayor Bryan Baptiste and state and county legislators yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to defeat the use of crystal methamphetamine on Kauai, as well as the abuse of other drugs. Their pledges of support came at a
U.S. Congressman Ed Case, Mayor Bryan Baptiste and state and county legislators yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to defeat the use of crystal methamphetamine on Kauai, as well as the abuse of other drugs.
Their pledges of support came at a public meeting where residents recommended ways to beat drug use, including establishing more anti-drug programs and drug treatment facilities, increasing police manpower and creating an anti-drug task force and citizen patrols .
The recommendations were made during a “regional drug summit” the Baptiste administration held at Princeville’s Prince Course Clubhouse.
The brainstorming session is the third of five summits being held by the mayor as his administration seeks ways to try to find solutions to the island’s drug problems.
Also attending were state Rep. Hermina Morita, D-North Kauai, Lynn P. McCrory, a Kauai representative on the board of the state Land Board, Gary Heu, administrative assistant to Baptiste, Tim Bynum of the Friends of Kamalani Playground and Capt. Mitham Clement of the Salvation Army on Kauai.
Case was the keynote speaker at the gathering attended by 30 residents.
Case represents rural areas of Oahu and the neighbor islands. He said the use of crystal methamphetamine – a drug known on the street as “ice” – has overrun Hawaii.
But like rural communities on Kauai, rural communities elsewhere in the state recognize the danger of the problem, and have convened meetings to find solutions, Case said.
Case said nobody has been able to explain to him why the use of ice is more prevalent on the neighbor islands. He speculated the situation exists because ice dealers feel they can make bigger profits on the neighbor islands.
Case said profit margins on the sale of ice in Hawaii are in excess of 300 percent of the prices charged the Mainland. He said a pound of ice can sell in California for between $10,000 to $15,000, but sells for between $30,000 and $35,000 in Hawaii.
The congressman said the sale of ice may take place more on the neighbor islands as well because the presence of federal law officers is not as “significant” on Kauai, Maui and the Big Island as it is in Honolulu.
Case said ice has evolved into the illicit drug of choice in Hawaii, and its impact has wrecked lives, noting:
- Hawaii leads the nation in the percentage of arrested adults who have tested positive for the drug.
- Hawaii has the highest rate of adults who have tried the drug.
- Ice has replaced alcohol as the primary substance used by residents who are in treatment programs.
- Deaths attributed to ice have almost doubled in two years.
- Ice has been directly linked to 44 percent of the homicides and 90 percent of the child abuse cases in Hawaii.
- Nationally, in 2001, 14 percent of people sentenced for trafficking in drugs have involved ice. In Hawaii, that number climbed to 51 percent, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
- On Kauai, ice (in grams) was the second most seized drug between July 2000 and June 2001. Marijuana still led the way.
At the federal level, Case said he has:
- asked the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Agency to put agents on Kauai.
- secured funds for drug prevention programs. “If you can get people to stop that first use, you are way ahead of the battle, and that is education that comes from the federal education process, federal education programs of prevention,” Case said.
- asked Congress for $6 million to support “ice-related efforts through the state” in this fiscal year.
- asked Congress for $2.8 million for a neighbor island drug treatment facility.
- Sought federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area funds for Hawaii and will work to ensure the neighbor islands counties get their share. The funds are allocated to areas with intensive drug trafficking problems, Case said.
“My challenge and my commitment is to make sure those monies come out of Honolulu and get out to the communities that, frankly, in the case of ice, need them, particularly on this island (Kauai), or over on the Big Island or whatever,” Case said.
Baptiste told the gathering that residents can approach Case or US. Sen. Daniel Inouye for funds to combat drug use, but the key to success lies with residents who recognize the problem exists and want to fight back.
“The key for us is to take charge, be able to stand up to our friends, neighbors and friends and say enough is enough,'” Baptiste said.
Winning the battle against drug use will be hard, but it also will come down to people wanting to help those addicted to drugs as well, Baptiste said.
Until recently, the mayor said, he was probably like most people, not entirely aware that drug abuse was such a severe problem, partly because of denial.
However, the ice culture is real and it has “taken the innocence that we had,” Baptiste said.
Kauai County Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura said ice hurts everyone and she hoped Saturday’s session would lead to “action projects” that will make a significant difference in the war against drugs.
Yukimura said she is working with a subcommittee of an islandwide drug prevention group convened by Baptiste.
She said the subcommittee is studying the most successful anti-drug projects or program that have been used by other communities in the nation, and that it is her hope some will be used on Kauai.
“Prevention is always the most cost-effective, versus enforcement and treatment of people, helping them to choose not to use drugs and not to go down that route is the cheapest, always,” Yukimura said.
Yukimura said a Kilauea acupuncturist is looking at a method that could help drug users, and wants to offer it on Kauai. The process, which involves treatment of the ear, has been used successfully in Oregon, she said.
Prior to discussions by residents, Carol Seielstad, a special education teacher at Hanalei Elementary School, praised the effectiveness of the police-sponsored DARE (anti-drug) program for youths, and said she wants implementation of more programs like it.
Seielstad said she knows North Shore youths use ice, and attended yesterday’s meeting because “I am thinking of what we can do at our level to prevent that.”
Others said they were skeptical about reporting incidents to the police because of creditability issues.
Kauai Police Chief George Freitas spoke at the forum, and said local residents should work with the police department to help make headway in the war on drugs on Kauai.
People need to provide detailed information in reporting drug cases to police officers, Freitas said. “I need people to talk in terms of specifics,” he said. “I cannot deal with rumors or innuendoes.”
During discussions, participants noted ice use is “all over the North Shore,” that ice wastes “lives, time and money,” and that health programs should be set up in addition to enforcement of drug laws.
Other advice included having parents being good models for their children by not using drugs.
Some claimed influential community leaders on the North Shore are involved in drug trafficking. Others suggested that a drug hotline should be set up.
Verdelle Lum, a member of the Waioli Huiia Church of Hanalei, said church groups can help with drug prevention.
Teresa Meek, a Princeville resident, said using “peer pressure” will discourage youths from using ice. ” Take the most popular kids and recruit youths not to smoke or use ice, and convince their friends that it (using drugs) is not the cool thing to do.”
Roy Nishida, Baptiste’s anti-drug coordinator, said the comments will be reviewed and that a comprehensive anti-drug plan is planned to be forthcoming by the summer.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
