• Mayor responds to Dr. McKenna Mayor responds to Dr. McKenna After reading Dr. McKenna’s recent viewpoint editorial (The Garden Island, December 22), I feel an obligation to reply to state the facts of the County’s drug response effort. These
• Mayor responds to Dr. McKenna
Mayor responds to Dr. McKenna
After reading Dr. McKenna’s recent viewpoint editorial (The Garden Island, December 22), I feel an obligation to reply to state the facts of the County’s drug response effort. These facts were unfortunately misrepresented by Dr. McKenna in his letter.
Dr. McKenna alleges that the Kaua‘i Community Drug Response Plan has been shelved. That could not be further from the truth. In fact, the plan is being implemented and executed on several levels.
He stated that $200,000 would be used to form an ice task force, implying that it would duplicate the efforts of the Drug Action Team, a committee that has been involved in drug response efforts for the past year and a half. However, the ice task force in question is actually an ice enforcement task force within the Kaua‘i Police Department that will manage drug enforcement cases.
In his letter, Dr. McKenna indicates he does not see the planned expenditure of funds reaching a goal of drug education and parental awareness. But in reality, all activities that are billed as “anti-drug activities” are aimed at drug prevention and education. Many activities are geared specifically for parents. Additionally, organizations that are successful in applying for grants from the community fund must first demonstrate that its program and/or activity have a valid drug prevention and education component.
Dr. McKenna also questioned the plans for a youth boxing program and suggests that funds instead be used for martial arts programs. But a major component of the drug prevention plan involves providing a wide array of activities n to capture the interest of a broader cross-section of island youth. Over and over we have been told that youth need more activities. It is obvious that while the activities that have been in existence have benefited some youth, more needs to be done to engage the youth who have interests aside from the usual recreational activities.
Furthermore, a youth boxing program is a common offering of PAL (Police Activities League) organizations through the nation n programs that have been successful. Kaua‘i’s youth boxing program will be coordinated through the Offices of Community Assistance Recreation Agency and the Kaua‘i Police Activities League.
Dr. McKenna goes on to question the $81,000 that will be used for coordination of community drug education activities.
He suggests that Roy Nishida, County anti-drug coordinator, take on this task. What Dr. McKenna fails to realize n or to explain in his letter n is that while there are free community education programs, there are also programs that must be paid for. Part of the funds will be used to conduct a community drug summit as well as a youth drug summit.
In the area of treatment, Dr. McKenna alleges that in two years we are no closer to having a residential treatment programs on Kaua‘i. On the contrary, the County will, in a matter of weeks, be approaching the Planning Commission for land use permits for an adolescent treatment facility. Additionally, we have been supporting Calvary Chapel’s efforts for the establishment of an adult male residential treatment facility, and they are expected to be before the Planning Commission soon. A women’s residential treatment facility is also in the works.
Federal dollars for drug response efforts were only recently approved.
When the planning process first began, a year and a half ago, our sources indicated we should first have a Drug Response Plan, secure land, secure funding and build a facility before decisions were made on types of treatment to be offered.
Dr. McKenna suggestion to bring down a team from the mainland to develop programs was premature n an overall drug response plan had not yet been created.
I write this letter merely to clarify the facts. Dr. McKenna has been involved in anti-drug efforts on Kaua‘i for many years and we would welcome his continued involvement in this process. Roy Nishida and our volunteers on the various drug response committees have done a wonderful job in implementing the Kaua‘i Community Drug Response Plan. Should anyone have questions or concerns about the plan or its programs, I would welcome their comments at my office at 241-6300 or mayor@ kauai.hawaii.gov.
