COUNTY USING THE WEB TO FIGHT 'ICE'

Hawaii County has a new high - tech weapon to use in fighting its war on
"ice."

It recently started a comprehensive drug - awareness Web site at
www.healingourisland.com so Internet users can learn about the illegal drug
crystal methamphetamine, or "ice."

Listed is everything from a summary of last year's Big Island Meth Summit
and users' typical behavior patterns to regional directories of all
available resources, treatment, counseling and law enforcement services. A
community events calendar and links to every Big Island school also are
provided, while plans are under way to add a question - and - answer feature
complete with database.

"I think the main idea is people wanted information where they could go for
help," said Billy Kenoi, executive assistant to Mayor Harry Kim and
coordinator of Kim's efforts to combat ice use, which has reached epidemic
levels in some Big Island communities.

"We want to make sure nobody's out there without the help they need," Kenoi
said.

The county hired a Web designer with some of the $10,000 it received from
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, which donated the money to fight ice use when it
bought The Orchid at Mauna Lani, he said.

"It's been up for a couple of weeks," he said. "The site's fluid. We welcome
comments."

It should help both professional counselors and families of ice users, said
Peggy Hilton, East Hawaii section administrator for the Child Welfare
Services Section of the state Department of Human Services.

"I found it to be very exciting," she said of the site, adding it has a very
local flair.

One key to its success will be for churches, schools and community
organizations to post information for the events calendar, she said.

Hilton noted that 85 percent of her staff's caseload involves ice users,
which represents a big increase from just five years ago.

"It's a very violent drug, and people get addicted to it almost
immediately," she said.