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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, May 20, 2003

Anti-drug effort opened doors

 •  Law targets 'ice houses'
 •  Lee Cataluna: One day at a time to beating 'ice'

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KAHALU'U — Community involvement awakened by an anti-drug effort in this rural Windward area has begun to spill over into other areas, with residents taking greater interest in their neighborhoods by volunteering more, officials say.

On May 2, Kahalu'u Elementary students marched on Waihe'e Road to protest drug problems in their community.

Advertiser library photo • May 2, 2003

Participation has more than doubled in KEY Project's Books and Breakfast program at Kahalu'u Elementary School, and area churches are getting more involved in other activities, said Bob Nakata, who heads KEY Project, which provides educational and recreation programs for children and families.

But residents want to sustain interest in their anti-drug crusade and boost the fires of community involvement even more with a second sign waving scheduled for Friday.

Nakata credits the increase in volunteerism at area schools and churches to the anti-drug campaign that attracted hundreds of people who stood together to hold signs on May 2 declaring that they will not tolerate the use or sale of "ice," or crystal methamphetamine, near their homes. Since mid-March, these same people have packed three community meetings to define and plan strategies for dealing with drugs.

Nakata said some of these people may have also showed up at the school yesterday. Six adults participated in the reading program when at times there's just one, he said. Plus, 70 children were on hand when often there are 20 or 30. "I have a feeling as community people got involved with the sign-holding, it opened the way for them to get involved in more things," Nakata said, adding that one grandparent who participated in the sign-holding said he was doing it for his grandchildren. "I may be reaching, but I think some of that is going on. People are becoming hopeful that there is a better future for their children."

Sign waving

• What: Anti-drug campaign

• Where: Kamehameha Highway from Kahalu'u through Ko'olauloa

• When: 4 to 6 p.m. Friday

Nakata said reading to children at schools is one way to fight drug use. It's a preventive program, he said.

"What we're doing is like a fire brigade," he said. "(There's) a fire burning and we're trying to put it out. What we have to do is prevent the fire in the first place, and Books and Breakfast is a step in that direction."

Holding signs is another kind of prevention that creates peer pressure, Nakata said. It also will keep people involved and will let drug abusers know the community hasn't lost interest.

Kahalu'u Elementary principal Amy Arakaki said she, too, thinks the town meeting on ice has spurred interest in volunteerism. There's also an incentive for children to participate. They'll get a free uniform T-shirt when the school switches to uniforms next year.

"(Increased participation) has to do with many different factors," Arakaki said. "Not only do parents want to be more aware. They want to help the children be more resilient from the time they're little and not wait until they are teenagers when they get in drug situations."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.