MAYOR - DRUG ABUSE IS KAUA'I'S BIGGEST PROBLEM

"The drug problem is our biggest problem and a reflection of other
challenges we face," Mayor Bryan Baptiste said at a meeting held Thursday
morning to address what's being called a drug abuse crisis on Kaua'i.

More than 60 representatives from various Kaua'i drug prevention,
intervention and treatment agencies met at the Civil Defense Agency's
Emergency Operations Center to discuss actions that have-and haven't-worked,
and how to organize efforts islandwide.

Kaua'i Police Department vice officer suggested a county-wide operations
plan, which includes creating a framework for organizing the dozens of
different agencies working on the drug problem, and drawing up specific
objectives to a general plan.

Kaua'i needs to create a strategy and know the overall framework to
understand where different people and groups fit in, said councilwoman JoAnn
Yukimura.

Speakers at the meeting suggested appointing a local drug czar who would
work full-time on implementing the anti-drug plan and raising state and
federal funds to underwrite it. They also said a lack of coordination and
communication are the principal gaps between small neighborhood groups
operating under private and government grants and county and state agencies
involved in fighting drug abuse.

"There is a lot of territoriality in this fight," Baptiste said. "The more I
look at this, I realize I had been insulated from it for quite a while, but
all you have to do is take another step to realize it affects every family
on this island."

Baptiste said that in a meeting held Wednesday in Honolulu, Gov. Linda
Lingle and Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona said they would help formulate and find
funding for a residential drug treatment center on Kaua'i.

Dozens of social problems can be linked to substance abuse, the drug of
choice on Kaua'i being "ice" (crystal methamphetamine). These include
children being raised by parents who use or sell drugs; open drug use in
county parks and recreation areas; and a significant rise in crime rates.

Marilyn Wong, Kawaihau District Community Coalition community liaison,
served as meeting facilitator. She divided the crisis on drugs into four
areas:

*- Prevention - educating people and giving them choices to do something
else besides drugs;

*- Intervention - enforcement agencies such as the police department, courts
and child protective services;

*- Treatment - includes the corrections system, counseling, health care and
life skills;

*- Aftercare - continuing support and wellness after a treatment program is
completed.

The drug abuse prevention group agreed their overall goal was to have all
kids and adults choose not to use drugs. Of the dozens of programs available
around the island, most of them were labeled as "successful," but many are
still new.

While many prevention programs in the community do work, there is always
room for improvement, Wong said.

The success of intervention is hard to measure, according to Police Chief
George Freitas. Arrests related to drugs show success, but still many drug
users aren't arrested. Also, vice section officers estimate that about 5-10
percent of illegal drugs on the island are seized, while 95 percent of
illicit drugs used are imported to the island.

Laws that take away discretion from judges are successful in curbing drug
abuse, because mandatory minimum sentences and in some cases treatment is
required. However, Kaua'i has no residential treatment facilities or detox
centers for drug addicts.

The idea of "community policing" may work, as KPD officers are on patrol in
about 5 percent of populated areas at any given time. However, people are
hesitant to turn in their neighbors and families for drug abuse, and the
public needs to be educated on what the police can and cannot do. The police
also need better interagency communication with state and federal law
enforcement agencies.

Representatives from the drug treatment community acknowledged that those
running drug recovery programs are doing the best they can, but refer many
clients to other services. What the group determined Kaua'i needs are a
residential treatment center, a supportive living center and after-hours
transportation for clients.

Retired United Methodist Church Pastor Roy "Rocky" Sasaki pointed to a
shortage of resources for funding and supporting aftercare services.

"Treatment and aftercare should go hand in hand but that's not happening,"
he said.

The laws of separation of church and state in Hawai'i prevents the
faith-based community from getting involved in schools and government-run
facilities, but prison ministry programs and support groups run in
coordination with the Kaua'i Community Correctional Center show some
success, as well as requiring inmates to attend Alcoholics Anonymous or
Narcotics Anonymous meetings, he said.

Once the Mayor's new Community Advisory Board and Leo O Kaua'i meetings get
underway, communities will be linked together, Baptiste said. He added that
people need to get out of their "separate kingdoms," and work together.

"Every day we don't do something, we lose a child, and we're not going to
let that happen," Baptiste said.