ICE SUMMITS SCHEDULED THIS MONTH

The statistics are sobering: "More than 90 percent of all child - abuse
cases are directly related to ice," said Don Bebee, executive director of
Family Support Services of West Hawaii.

"It's a huge problem and it's growing," said County Councilwoman Nancy
Pisicchio, who has been involved in organizing community awareness.

>From awareness to prevention, treatment and successful prosecution, that's
the trajectory of two major conferences taking place later this month along
the Kohala Coast.

More than 250 health, social service and law enforcement professionals have
signed up for a conference Aug. 14 - 15 at the Outrigger Waikoloa, twice the
number anticipated, conference organizers said.

Another 300 are anticipated at the invitation - only "Ice Summit," which is
scheduled for Aug. 27.

Participants will attempt to develop effective multiple - agency strategies
from the federal to county levels against a scourge that so far has
overwhelmed containment and control efforts.

Ice, or crystal methamphetamine, is a stimulant that's appealing, but also
destructive, to users and the entire community because of its ready
availability, cheap price, long - lasting effects and possible sudden onset
of violent, psychotic behavior.

"A lot of us in human services have a huge problem to deal with," said
Bebee. "We're all experiencing the same thing. It's a humongous problem."

The problem is percolating to students in elementary school.

With hundreds of children currently under the shield of Child Protective
Services, criminal cases backed up a year or more due to lack of funding for
processing drug charges, and with the offenders back on the streets until
cases are brought to trial, the problem is more than critical, Pisicchio
said.

"They're back on the streets with the added pressures of unresolved
possession charges," she said. "But even if we could prosecute all of them
tomorrow, we couldn't handle all the cases...putting them in jail often
won't solve their addiction."

Pisicchio is pinning her hopes on the outside experts brought in to the Aug.
14 - 15 conference from the UCLA - Matrix Center for Addiction programs.

With federally recognized achievement in responding to acute community
crisis in methamphetamine drug abuse, the Matrix program of medical,
behavioral, educational and 12 - step counseling programs could be a model
for the county and state, said Pisicchio.

"People in the battlefield will be able to link up with (effective) outside
resources," she said.

"We haven't even come close to containing this," said Bebee. "It's going to
take all our efforts."

For additional information about the forum, contact Family Support Services
of West Hawaii 334-4116.