Big Isle to hold drug summit
By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau
HILO, Hawai'i — The cost of crystal methamphetamine abuse and its increase across the nation and the Big Island — and what can be done about it — will be discussed at an Aug. 27 conference in Hilo, one of four federally sponsored meetings on the topic.
Advertiser library photo • April 25, 2001
The "ice summit" will feature the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration and 300 invited participants who will examine law enforcement, education, the workplace and social issues caused by widespread use of the illegal drug.
Crystal methamphetamine and its impact on the community will be the topic of a conference in August on the Big Island. This cache was seized by authorities last year.
Other summits will be conducted starting this month in Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma.
Big Island Mayor Harry Kim has identified crystal meth — commonly known as "ice" — as the top public concern in Hawai'i County, and none of the island's communities has escaped its effects.
In rural, upscale Waimea, the drug has been blamed for a steep rise in thefts and burglaries. A community task force has been formed to address the problem.
"It's been an eye-opener for many of us," said Patti Cook of the Waimea Community Association.
Human service agencies report that 1,000 Big Island children are under some form of state care because of parents abusing crystal methamphetamine. Officials said that Big Island teenagers make up a high percentage of juveniles undergoing drug treatment at Honolulu facilities. Meanwhile, business leaders report having difficulty finding new employees who can pass drug screenings.
Despite the increased focus on crystal meth, Police Chief Jimmy Correa said his department is poorly equip-ped and lacks the staff to attack the problem in a meaningful way. He said more effort needs to be devoted to cutting off the flow of the drug, which comes to the Big Island primarily from Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Big Island officials have been joined by the state Department of Health, the state attorney general and the state judiciary in planning for the summit. The National Crime Prevention Council also is involved.
Billy Kenoi, a former O'ahu public defender who joined Kim's staff last year as an executive assistant focusing on drug problems, said he expects the meeting will result in a set of priorities and a look at the feasibility of possible solutions.
"We need to know what is going on and figure out how to stop it," he said.
