Posted on: Sunday, December 26, 2004
EDITORIAL
Release money for teen drug treatment
As soon as Hina Mauka's "Teen Care" drug treatment program opened at Radford High School last January, there were 70 students waiting to get help. Alas, the 16-week program, which offers therapy, education and treatment, can only accommodate 30 at a time, so 40 students with drug issues had to wait.
Don't tell us there isn't a pressing need for drug treatment programs in the schools.
Teen Care operates at several high schools throughout the Islands, but is only available in a couple of intermediate schools. And it's the middle schools, where students are subject to intense peer pressure and the agonies of puberty, that need it the most.
Which brings us to the $4 million of the "ice" omnibus appropriation bill that Gov. Linda Lingle still has not released. Nearly $1 million of that is allotted to adolescent drug treatment and community adolescent drug prevention.
The remaining funds awaiting release go to community-based organizations for anti-drug and prevention programs, a study of the impacts of ice labs on the environment, the expansion of the KASHBOX drug treatment program at Waiawa Correctional Facility and drug-detecting dogs.
The Lingle administration says the unreleased "ice" bill funds are under review by Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and the state departments of Health, Human Services and Public Safety. Apparently, before the programs get the money, they must prove they are worthy through data showing they get results.
We can't argue with due diligence to ensure that we're not throwing taxpayer money down the drain. But these programs already provide this data in order to be certified and licensed. Indeed, according to M.P. "Andy" Anderson, CEO of Hina Mauka, this data has been available to the administration for more than a year.
So what's the holdup? Let's hope it's not petty politics. At the very least, the governor should release the money for adolescent treatment programs so our most vulnerable students get help now rather than as adults when the cost of treating them, or putting them in prison for drug-related crimes, skyrockets.
