HAWAI'I MUST KICK CRYSTAL METH HABIT

First we congratulate the law enforcement officers who "busted" a
major "ice" ring, arresting 40 people in Honolulu, Maui and
California. It's a job well done if officials are right that they
have interrupted 50 percent of the supply on the Valley Isle.

That's the good news. The bad news begins with the assertion by Maui
Police Chief Thomas Phillips that drug busts won't make the crystal
methamphetamine problem go away. That will come only when demand for
the drug is eliminated, he said.

But it gets worse. Among those arrested are a Maui police officer and
a couple of formerly well-known prep athletes. Whether these folks -
if guilty as charged - were corrupted by drug use or simply the big
bucks involved is perhaps beside the point.

Bad as the picture is from the perspective of suppliers, however,
it's simply appalling when you look at the lives of chaotic
desperation carried on by users.

City Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Van Marter outlined what
investigators believe led to the killing of Tracey Tominaga, 37, in
January: that she had rejected the sexual advances of her drug
supplier, then had a friend hold a gun to the supplier's head until
he apologized.

The supplier, who police identify as Jason K. Perry, 23, then rounded
up a group of friends, abducted Tominaga and drove her to an area
above Makakilo. Then, police say, she was beaten for about 30 minutes
while Perry demanded to know the name of the man who held a gun to
his head. After Tominaga provided Perry with a fake name, say police,
Perry strangled her to death.

Later, police charge, Perry murdered Edward Fuller to keep him from
informing to authorities about the killing.

It is painful to recount such gruesome details in light of the
graciousness exhibited by Tominaga's family in thanking authorities
and friends in finding her body and helping bring them closure. But
it is unwise for us as a society to close our eyes to the sort of
behavior that crystal methamphetamine appears to inspire.

These recent stories suggest that we're in real trouble.