NO QUICK FIX FOR 'ICE' FIGHT

A top law enforcement official said the state does not have tough enough
laws for drug users and repeat offenders and pledged to help Big Island
police combat the crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," epidemic.

"Any system which allows habitual offenders to be repeatedly sentenced to
either probation or given early parole is not working," U.S. District
Attorney Ed Kubo said Monday evening at the Lion's Club of Kona monthly
meeting.

He said the man accused of killing Honolulu police officer Glen Gaspar had
14 convictions and had tested positive for "ice."

Kubo arrived at the meeting armed with statistics:

* Hawaii has more "ice" users than any other state in the nation. In 2001,
The Queen's Medical Center admitted 6,554 people for substance abuse,
including 2,089 "ice" users.

* Drugs account for 90 percent of about 2,300 confirmed child abuse cases
each year and "ice" is the number one drug involved.

* About 7.5 percent of Hawaii high school seniors surveyed said they had
tried drugs, compared with 4.4 seniors nationwide.

* Property crimes in Hawaii have increased, as have violent crimes - both
of which have links to "ice" use.

But he did not have a solution.

"I don't have the answers," Kubo admitted. He said he hoped to get the
community more involved in the process as the county can't afford to do it
on its own.

"They don't have that much money," he said, adding even with the $4 million
the Bush administration had set aside to combat "ice"

on the Big Island - $350,000 of which is ear - marked for a drug testing
center - much is still to be done.

Addicts typically take six months to recover and medical insurance covers
only 30 days, he said. In addition, drug rehabilitation centers typically
have 150 - 200 people on waiting lists, he said.

"The question is, do we want to devote all of our funding to enforcement and
then not have money to properly rehabilitate people or do we want to spend
the money on rehabilitation and have all of these "ice" users going around
giving this drug to all of our kids?"

He had no answer.

However, he did promise more collaboration between state, county and federal
agencies and said he would devote much of his time in supporting Big Island
police.

"Ten days ago, federal agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and
the Drug Enforcement Administration along with Big Island police, arrested
two men in Hilo," he said. "Both were charged with attempting to possess six
pounds of methamphetamine and with being an illegal user of drugs in
possession of fire arms."

Kubo said the federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau will open an
office on the Big Island and FBI officers already are stationed on the Big
Island.

Police Chief Lawerence Mahuna, who also attended the meeting, said even with
money provided by the federal government, even with the Police Department
forming "ice" task forces, police still need community support.

"Without that, we don't have enough resources to ferret out every drug
dealer," he said. "Information is what we need. Anything the community can
tell us."