WAR ON 'ICE' FOCUS OF MAYOR'S DRUG MEETING

Residents from Lihu'e, Puhi and Hanama'ulu turned out for the county's
second drug summit meeting Tuesday night

At the meeting, Mayor Bryan Baptiste listed the county's top priorities in
fighting the drug war.

"We have decided as a county to take a leading role in the effort in the war
against drugs," Baptiste said. "The role is not one of monetary support or
resources, but to bring a lot of different resources together."

Roy Nishida, the county's drug program "czar" said he wants the community
and government to work together in implementing a drug-war plan that is
being drawn up.

People at the meeting held at the Radission Kauai Beach Resort said they
remain confused about how to take action, or who to call, when they face
drug-related problems in the community .

Nishida freely admits that he is no expert on drugs and addiction, but said
he has years of experience as a "community advisor" and these community
meetings are one way people can get involved.

Gary Shimabukuro, leader from the O'ahu-based drug education group Laulima
Hawai'i, gave a multimedia slideshow on crystal methamphetamine, or "ice."
The graphics seemed to shock the 80-90 people in attendance, which included
people of all ages.

Shimabukuro's computerized presentation featured crimes committed by ice
addicts, including several on Kaua'i, and showed the detrimental physical
and mental health effects the drug causes.

Ice can keep one awake for an average of 4-14 hours, depending upon the
amount of the drug and a person's tolerance to it, he said. The "high," may
include hallucinations and a person's behavior can become compulsive,
hypersexual, violent and paranoid. Then, they can "crash" for days, waking
to severe depression.

Ice causes bad breath, sweating, body odor, rapid weight loss and acne.
Traces of ice can stay in the human body for about three days.

High-resoution, computerized imaging shows that prolonged use of ice causes
a permanent loss of blood flow to certain areas of the brain.

The audience often sighed and gasped as he zipped through gruesome crime
scene photos and images of newspaper articles regarding murders, shootings,
domestic abuse, child abuse and molestation.

Shimabukuro added the recent episode at Lihu'e Airport in which a
24-year-old man allegedly broke into a terminal past security and shot a
handgun, was related to ice.

"The nature of the drug" is such that more than 90 percent of extreme
molestation and child abuse crimes are related, he said. Elder abuse,
molestation, larceny thefts, property crimes, car break-ins and burglaries,
are also related, he added.

"Many heads, hands and hearts working together to build a drug-free Hawai'i"
were his positive, parting words.

Mayor Speaks

Mayor Bryan Baptiste said he was surprised that ice has been a major problem
since the early 1990s.

He said he wants to provide opportunities for "demand reduction" activities
that can keep people busy and away from thinking about using drugs as a way
to get high.

He challenged meeting-goers to mentor a child or otherwise help youth that
seem to be without leadership or guidance.

"There are many things each and every one of us can do," he said. The idea
is one that he has stuck with since deciding that drug use is the No. 1
problem in Kaua'i County shortly after taking office.

"It's not overnight that we can do this, but we need a commitment to do
this," he concluded.

His "enough is enough" speech led into 45-minute break out sessions. Small
groups of about 10 people each discussed the issues drugs brings to their
community, what the issues are and what is working and helping.

People said they are often living in a state of fear of their neighbors,
even family members.

One group was concerned about health issues not only for drug users but
people who live with them, including STDs, high-risk pregnancies and mental
health issues.

Many people said that they didn't know what police could do in their
neighborhoods and didn't know where to get help. Others were concerned about
safe activities for youth. Some business owners and others said that
vandalism and "burn-rubber marks" seemed to be sure signs of teen drug use.

The results will be compiled and forwarded to Nishida to assist him in
creating a plan. He said he should have a first draft by July.

The next drug summit in this first series of meetings will be held Saturday
at the Prince Clubhouse in Princeville from 8 a.m.-noon.

Congressman Ed Case is the scheduled speaker. Call Nishida at 241-6312 for
more information.