EDITORIAL
Children real victims of Hawai'i ice epidemic

You know things have gone from bad to worse when Child Protective Services workers half-jokingly wish for the good old days when the addicts they dealt with used heroin.

That's not an endorsement of heroin, but an indictment of crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," a drug so addictive and destructive that it ranks among the state's greatest public health problems.

In a three-part series that starts today on Page A1, Advertiser Big Island reporter Kevin Dayton gives us insight into the heartbreaking impact of "ice" on the children of users. He does this by telling the story of 9-year-old Sanisha Llanes of Ka'u, whose experiences are a testament to the headline: "A Childhood Lost."

'I was shame'

Too many times, Sanisha has used her thin body to shield her ice-addicted mother from her father's ice-induced beatings while her younger brother ran to neighbors' homes for help. Meanwhile, Sanisha tried to keep the family dysfunction a secret from authorities. "I was shame," she said.

Her grandmother finally came to the rescue last year when she entered the home and found the four children neglected and living in filth. After calling CPS, she was awarded custody of all the children and will most likely obtain legal guardianship this month.

But as yet, there's no fairy tale ending, and there may never be. The children miss their parents, even though they've escaped the squalor and violence. They rebel against discipline because they learned to fend for themselves, and the boys are acting out in destructive ways.

For CPS and Family Court, such stories are becoming run of the mill. On average, the agency is removing at least one child a day from homes on the eastern side of the Big Island because of drug problems. Crystal methamphetamine tops the list.

The deep downside

While many parents are able to care for their children while struggling with alcohol abuse and other additions, experts say they rarely hold it together while addicted to ice. The craving for the next hit easily eclipses nurturing instincts, and domestic violence is quick to erupt. Sex and pornography are often part of the ice culture, and it's not unusual for heavy users to experience psychotic episodes.

Once the children are placed in foster care, heavy ice users rarely call to ask after their offspring or show up for court hearings, despite risking losing their parental rights.

In some cases, as in Sanisha's, the separation from the parents is traumatizing.

Support for addicts

On the positive side, her parents have sought treatment and are now rebuilding a bond with their children. Sanisha's mother has started a crystal meth anonymous chapter in Ka'u to provide support to recovering addicts like herself.

In other cases, the kids are numb as they move into foster care because going with the flow is how they've learned to survive. They may never be reunited with their parents, and will likely struggle with post-traumatic stress for the rest of their lives.

Worse still, some children go on to mimic their parents' behavior. The Big Island CPS has encountered a 10-year-old ice user, the youngest the agency has yet seen. And so the cycle continues.

To their credit, communities around O'ahu have been mobilizing against the ice epidemic. In recent months, relatives, friends and neighbors of crystal methamphetamine users have taken to the streets and waved signs warning users and dealers that their habit will no longer be tolerated.

Drug strategy summit

This Wednesday and Thursday, law enforcement officials, community groups, health professionals and others will gather for the Hawai'i Drug Control Strategy Summit.

Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, a former state judge who helped bring the Drug Court program to Hawai'i, says the conference should help "provide a comprehensive, integrated and seamless approach to treating, preventing and disrupting ... illicit drugs."

For our part, we hope the Advertiser's "Children of Ice" series drives home the urgency to tackle this problem through aggressive treatment programs, counseling, drug education in the schools and specific legislation to curb the manufacturing and sale of crystal methamphetamine, plus enforcement of those laws.

Too many children are living this nightmare, and the sad part is, many believe they're to blame for their parents' addictions. We have to teach them that the fault lies entirely with ice and that it has to be wiped out.