BIG ISLAND ICE SUMMIT TO DRAW BATTLE PLAN

WAIKOLOA, Hawai'i -- Police, social workers, business people and members of
Congress will gather tomorrow to assess the Big Island's crystal
methamphetamine crisis and to plan the next moves.

The second annual Hawai'i Island Meth Summit will include remarks by U.S.
Attorney Ed Kubo and U.S. Rep. Ed Case, and a discussion by Kona physician Dr.
Kevin Kunz on treatment obstacles and options.

Crystal methamphetamine, or ice, has become a particularly acute problem on the
Big Island, where police and users alike report the drug is widely available
and heavily used.

Following his election in 2000, Hawai'i County Mayor Harry Kim declared that
fighting the ice problem would be a priority, saying rural residents reported
that the drug was causing crime, destroying lives and shattering families.

Billy Kenoi, executive assistant to Kim, said there have been several important
steps since the first meth conference a year ago. Among them is new money for
drug lab equipment to allow police to quickly process drugs seized in raids, so
that suspects can be brought to justice faster.

Millions of dollars in additional federal money has been pledged to pay for
drug treatment and prevention programs, including money allocated for a Big
Island juvenile drug treatment facility.

An ice task force within the Hawai'i County Police Department is now operating,
Kenoi said, and four new drug counselors have been assigned to Big Island
schools.

County officials established an ice hot line and a Web site dedicated to the
war against the drug.

The hot line on O'ahu is 586-1328; for the Neighbor Islands, (800) 9NO-METH or
(800) 966-6384. The fax line is 586-1371.

E-mails can be sent to: stopice@hawaii.gov .

Last year, conference planners hoped to mobilize the community and also draw
the attention of federal authorities to the scope of the problem, Kenoi said.
Participants at the first conference came up with more than 145
recommendations.

This year, Kenoi said, representatives of various groups -- including churches,
law enforcement and the business community -- will be asked to outline specific
steps each group can take in the coming year. Representatives will then be
asked to sign a pledge to make those things happen over the next 12 months.

"We recognized, and we stated from the beginning, that there's no simple
solutions to this problem," Kenoi said. "We're not going to find a magic answer
at a conference or a summit.

"But by collectively working together, by getting people to commit to each
other and to collaborate, we're creating a healthier community."

The conference at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott will include about 300 invited
representatives, and is co-hosted by U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, Kim and Hawai'i
County Police Chief Lawrence Mahuna.