DANGEROUS FLAVORED DRUGS TARGET YOUTHS

Colored Meth Called "Strawberry Quick" Is Gaining Popularity

Mainland drug dealers are targeting new and younger users by
disguising dangerous drugs with cute and innocent names like
"Strawberry Quick" and "Cheese" that have local officials worried that
they could one day reach the islands.

"Strawberry Quick" resembles Pop Rocks, a popular candy among
children. It is pink, smells like strawberry and tastes like it. But
it is actually crystal methamphetamine -- only easier to ingest and
just as deadly -- and has been popping up all over the country,
including California and Nevada, in recent months.

"It's a frighteningly imaginative way to lure children to use it,"
said Dr. Bill Haning, a University of Hawaii Medical School professor
who does research on the effects of methamphetamines.

While there have been no reports of "Strawberry Quick" in Hawaii yet,
local law enforcement officials have been watching out for it, along
with another dangerous drug mix, called "cheese."

"Cheese" is actually a mix of heroin and Tylenol PM that sells for
about $2 a hit, making it affordable for younger users, said Keith
Kamita, chief of the state's Narcotics Enforcement Division.

The drugs appeal to younger users because they seem less dangerous,
but they are every bit as harmful as heroin and crystal
methamphetamine, officials warn.

"It's just marketing," said Sarah Pullen, spokeswoman for the Drug
Enforcement Administration in Los Angeles. "There has been a great
effort in the past few years to let young people know how dangerous
meth is. It's forcing producers to get a lot more creative."

In a creative attempt to make a profit, at least one Hawaii drug
dealer flavored methamphetamine with li hing powder about a year and a
half ago.

The pipe turned black, the taste was bitter and the designer's meth
business never took off.

Local narcotics officers are hoping that a wave of flavored
methamphetamine gaining popularity among younger users in the mainland
will meet a similar fate if introduced here.

"In Hawaii the culture is to smoke the meth," said Keith Kamita, chief
of the state Narcotics Enforcement Division. "If you try to smoke
methamphetamine that's sugar-based, they'll burn."

Drug dealers are getting more innovative, narcotics officers say. And
that is frightening.

To lure a new and younger crowd of users, drug dealers add strawberry
flavoring to crystal methamphetamine, making it tastier to ingest and
easier to snort. They call it "Strawberry Quick," a seemingly innocent
name for the deadly drug.

"With the strawberry meth, we've seen something like this and it
didn't catch on here," Kamita said.

Though there have been no sightings of "Strawberry Quick" in Hawaii,
local officials have been keeping a close eye on what's been happening
across the country in recent months. "Strawberry Quick" has been found
in California and Nevada, which has some parents fearing that it will
find its way into the islands.

"To take a child's innocence and to take candy and turn it into a
weapon -- how do you combat that?" said Robin Felber, a Makawao, Maui,
resident who has an 11-year-old daughter. "It looks just like candy.
We have enough to worry about as parents, but something like this ..."

Sarah Pullen, spokeswoman in Los Angeles for the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration, said drug dealers creating "Strawberry Quick" are
intentionally targeting younger customers to get longtime buyers.

Younger users, who were taught that meth is bad, might be tempted to
buy it because they think the smell and flavor will dilute the drug's
potency. That is false marketing, Pullen said.

"It's being processed and produced with the flavoring," Pullen said.
"So it's every bit as strong and pure."

Another drug targeting younger users, called "Cheese," also has local
officials worried.

"Cheese" is a yellowish powder mix of heroin and Tylenol PM that began
in Texas and is linked to the death of 19 teenagers in Dallas.

"Cheese" has been mainly isolated to Texas, Pullen said. However,
Kamita said he is more worried about "Cheese" gaining popularity in
Hawaii.

It is cheap -- as low as $2 a dose -- that makes it appealing to
younger users. Kamita said he has been warning Hawaii's school
students of the dangers of "Cheese" and "Strawberry Quick" through
presentations.

While it is impossible to predict whether these drugs will emerge in
Hawaii, local officials warn parents to keep open communication with
their children.

"We've been lucky so far," Kamita said.