GOP BRIEFED ON 'ICE' ESCAPADES

House Republicans Get An Overview Of The Crisis In Advance Of A Summer
Conference

The high demand and high prices for crystal methamphetamine have turned many
island homes into laboratories that use common household items to make the
illegal and deadly drug, state lawmakers were told yesterday.

"The money is there," state Chief Narcotics Officer Keith Kamita told state
House Republicans. "If you can manufacture it yourself, you cut out the
middle man, and you can make money."

Kamita said Hawaii's crystal meth, or "ice," problem is the worst in the
nation, and the highly addictive drug is in great demand here.

A pound of ice is valued at around $35,000 to $40,000 on Oahu, several times
more than what it goes for in California, he said. On the Big Island,
however, just a gram of crystal meth can sell for about $250, which adds up
to $112,000 a pound; on Kauai it goes for $500 a gram, or $224,000 a pound,
he added.

So some people have turned their homes into drug labs, using items such as
turkey basters, iodine, crockpots and even rice cookers to help make crystal
meth.

The GOP House members invited Kamita to give a presentation on ice as a
prelude to Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's planned summer conference on the
ice problem and a House-Senate joint committee's plans for statewide
hearings on what leaders see as a crisis.

According to figures from the Office of the Medical Examiner on Oahu, deaths
among ice users have nearly quadrupled in the past decade, with a record 62
last year, half of which involved overdoses and suicides. Through last April
there were 20 such deaths, the office said.

Hawaii hospitals in 2001 reported admitting 2,089 people for ice-related
treatment, and for 2002 the number "has grown immensely," although the exact
figure is not yet available, Kamita said.

Kamita said the state's ice epidemic is linked to violent and property
crimes, child abuse and broken families, among other things.

"I think it's pretty disturbing when we realize what a grip this has on
people throughout the process, from young kids all the way through
adulthood," said Galen Fox (R, Waikiki), House minority leader.

Kamita's presentation included a step-by-step process on what is needed to
create crystal meth, and photos of children and infants abused or neglected
because their parents or guardians were ice users or dealers.

Rep. Bud Stonebraker (R, Hawaii Kai) said: "It just breaks my heart when you
see the pictures of the kids being neglected and children watching children.
They're forced to be practically the head of the household, living on
crackers and peanut butter.

"It's just a punch in the heart. You want to do something, anything."

Fox said the House Minority Caucus will push next session for a strong
search-and-seizure law to help state law enforcement officials fight ice
labs.

Kamita said he needs more manpower added to his 16-person division so he can
place permanent narcotics officers on the neighbor islands instead of flying
them there every day.