LEGISLATIVE FIGHT AGAINST "ICE"

The state House and Senate are planning to work together in the statewide
fight against the illicit use of crystal methamphetamine, a destructive drug
known on the street simply as "ice."

It's not often that the two state legislative bodies work together on a
major program. However, their joint work on abuses to the state's
multi-million dollar special education spending has brought reform, and
convictions of scammers, to the system.

Ed Kubo, the Federal Prosecutor for Hawai'i and the Pacific, has determined
that Hawai'i has the worse ice problem on a per capita basis in the United
States.

Side issues in the discussions are sure to include the concept of mandatory
drug testing of high school students. Senate President Bobby Bunda,
D-Ka'ena-Wahiawa-Pupukea, is the father of the idea, and such a proposed
program has drawn mixed reactions at best from the public and other
politicians.

A survey undertaken by the state Department of Health has shown that about
half of all high school seniors have tried an illicit drug.

This legislative action on top of Mayor Bryan Baptiste's recent series of
"drug summits" held across Kaua'i show elected officials are aware and
concerned about this problem.

The big question is whether such actions will have a major effect in
eradicating the ice problem.

A look at similar ice problems in rural Washington State show concrete
action is effective. There sale and control of the ingredients used in
manufacturing ice were implemented.

A balance is needed in using limited government funding to go after this
problem. Surely education and testing of local youth would be somewhat
effective, but busting drug houses, jailing drug dealers, beefing up
sentences for ice dealing and other harsh measures are probably the stronger
steps if this problem is to come under control.