Hawai'i drug summit 'just the beginning'

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

The Hawaii Drug Control Strategy Summit may be over, but the real work is yet to come, Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona told hundreds of summit participants yesterday.

The three-day summit in Waikiki wrapped up its work with 11 recommendations that include expanding substance abuse treatment services, providing law enforcement officials more tools to prosecute dealers and coordinating efforts through a drug czar or single office.

"This is just the beginning of the work that we're about to embark on," said Aiona, who spearheaded the summit. "These recommendations are just our first step. ... We all know we're not done with this and we have to come back together for that one common goal."

Aiona said he will take the recommendations, which were created during break-out group sessions, to Gov. Linda Lingle and discuss them with state department heads. He also said he plans to share and discuss recommendations with members of the Joint House-Senate Task Force on Ice and Drug Abatement, which has been holding a series of hearings to prepare a package of bills.

The strategy summit drew about 400 people representing various backgrounds such as law enforcement, drug treatment and community organizations. The summit has a stated goal of reducing adult and juvenile illegal drug use by 10 percent over three years, and also aims for a 10 percent reduction in adult-offender recidivism.

Many of the recommendations were largely philosophical and short on specifics on how to accomplish them. There were also no figures on how much it would cost to implement the recommendations. But it was clear that many participants felt that drug treatment and other services need to be better coordinated through a single office or a drug czar.

Legal recommendations also included creating or changing laws to allow for mandatory drug treatment and to make it easier for state law enforcement authorities to conduct wiretaps. In addition, the recommendations would change the laws to give judges the means to appropriately sentence drug dealers and users.

"Considering the extreme diversity of the groups represented here, I think the recommendations were pretty palatable," said Pam Lichty of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai'i, who added she was pleased that drug treatment was among the larger themes of the summit.

"I guess the only disappointment was there weren't more specifics, but when you're trying to get 400 people to agree, it has to be general principles, I guess."

Aiona noted the absence of recommendations specifically focusing on prevention efforts, but he said the administration will not ignore that issue and that it is covered in other recommendations, such as those to strengthen communities.

An obvious underlying issue that also lingers is how the government will find adequate money to carry out the recommendations, which include providing comprehensive treatment "on demand."

"Really, it's going to come down to where we're going to put our few precious dollars, as a community, as a state," said Nanci Kreidman, executive director of the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse.

"The dicey part of course, is always carrying it out," Kreidman said. "There's so many competing demands."

Aiona said ways to pay for implementation of the recommendations — including using money from asset forfeitures, hiring a grant writer to pursue federal money and seeking private sector initiatives — are worth examining. Participants also recommended health insurance companies provide the same coverage for substance abuse treatment services as that for other health problems.

Aiona also said the state must first establish a way to coordinate services before the administration can examine the specifics of providing more treatment.

Elaine Wilson, chief of the Department of Health's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division, acknowledged that she and others have tried to get more money for substance abuse treatment and prevention for years.

But what's different now, she said, is that "we have never before the governor and lieutenant governor had this much focus on the need for treatment and the need to really make an impact on the substance abuse problem.

"Not that in the past people haven't helped us, but this is fabulous. To know that there are 400 people here and thousands more who wanted to come who really want to help with the problem, I think this is really monumental."

Earlier yesterday Charles Curie, administrator of the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, presented Aiona with a $3.6 million grant over five years to treat people with both substance abuse and mental disorders. The grant will provide $1 million in each of the first three years, $500,000 in the fourth year, and $100,000 in the last year.

Curie commended summit participants and the Lingle administration for addressing Hawai'i's drug abuse problems.

"Take advantage of this opportunity," he said. "I think you're just on the cusp of some tremendous things."

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.