KAHEALANI LATEST VICTIM OF 'ICE' PLAGUE

We have all been witness to the destruction of thousands of Hawai'i families
and the deterioration of our social fabric because of the disease called
"ice" (crystal methamphetamine) that is rampaging through our Islands. As
U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo has pointed out:

* - Hawai'i has the worst crystal methamphetamine problem in the country
with approximately 30,000 Hawai'i residents who are hard-core users and as
many as 90,000 who are "recreational" users. (That's one in every 10 of us.)

* - Substance abuse, with crystal meth as the No. 1 drug of choice, is
associated with 90 percent of the 2,300 confirmed child-abuse cases in the
state each year.

* - Forty percent of people arrested in Honolulu test positive for
methamphetamine use. No other city comes close.

* - "Ice" users support their insatiable habit through burglaries,
robberies, purse snatchings and car break-ins and thefts (7,500 auto thefts
this year on O'ahu alone) bringing Hawai'i's theft rate to the highest in
the nation.

* - Hawai'i's most high-profile violence has been linked to crystal meth;
this includes the lovely little angel, Kahealani Indreginal, who was taken
from us.

When is enough enough? When will we all begin to take responsibility for
what is happening to our children and our community?

As Kubo, our drug treatment professionals and our law enforcement providers
all agree: We must provide more educational programs for our youth and
extensive treatment programs for inmates and those on parole or probation.
There are now hundreds in line for treatment each day who are unable to
receive it.

But we must do much more. Relying on our "professionals" alone will not
work.

Each of us has to take responsibility for our children and our community and
do something. Everyone must get involved together: businesses, our elected
officials, churches, Rotary and other civic-minded clubs, schools and, most
important, our family, friends and neighbors.

If we don't take action to eliminate this plague from our Islands, we will
continue to be guilty of allowing it to destroy our community and our
children. Let none of us ever forget cousin Kahealani.

Rob Hail