Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 5, 1 May 2004 — 'Breaking the ice' a proposal to curb native Hawaiian addiction to crystal meth [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

'Breaking the ice' a proposal to curb native Hawaiian addiction to crystal meth

What is it? Where does it eome from? What ethnic population is the biggest abuser? Why do people take the stuff? These are just the tip of the iceberg questions about the methamphetamine known as crystal, rock, crank, meth and iee just to name a few of the street names. It was first synthesized in Japan in 1919. It was used as a nasal decongestant and was one of the first antidepressants. When the Allies occupied Japan after World War II they found that five to seven percent of the population was addicted to iee. In World War II, soldiers used it to fight fatigue. American and British fighter pilots, German and Japanese soldiers, as well as civilian workers, were also users. During the 1950s and 60s, Swedish doctors used it to treat patients with heroin addiction just as the United States used methadone. The Swedish doctors quit the practice when they found that patients were

developing psychoses after only a few treatments. In the 1960s and 70s, pharmaceutical companies developed it for prescription use to aid in weight loss. iee comes in liquid, powder or crystalline forms and ean be injected, inhaled, smoked or taken orally. In order to convert the powder to a "rock," the powder is dissolved with the aid of methanol, acetone, ethanol or isopropanol and re-crystallized. Some of the symptoms that allow you to detect its use are large dilated pupils, severe weight loss, hyperactive behaviortalkativeness, long periods of wakefulness and hallucinations. Withdrawal symptoms are detected by extreme depression, tiredness, and long periods of sleep, paranoia, panie attacks, cold sweats, increased hunger and violence. Statistics show that almost 50 percent of the population seeking help from agencies that will aid them to kiek the habit are Hawaiian. These figures are alarming to say the least. I had the opportunity to address a

request from the Honorable Ed Case, Hawai'i representative to Congress, for a proposal that is in the interest of Hawaiians that he could submit as a bill that would aid Hawaiians and the entire human race in Hawai'i. I eall the proposal, as this article is entitled - "Breaking the iee ." The project seeks $19 million to match the $19 million in HB2004. It makes appropriations for methamphetamine treatment, prevention, rehabilitation, and education to the department of health; makes appropriations to the judiciary to expand services provided by the drug courts for first time nonviolent offenders and to expand eanine drug interdiction efforts; makes appropriations to county government for grass root eommunity mobilization efforts provided federal forfeiture funds are matched to state funds; makes appropriations to the office of community services to coordinate the drug abatement efforts to fight the iee epidemic; provides tax credits for drug reha-

bilitation homes and substance abuse prevention education and employment; establishes a substance abuse treatment monitoring program requiring state agencies to collect data and access program effectiveness; establish a multiagency task force to respond to the effects of iee on children and makes appropriations for expenses. Hawaiians, our most vulnerable population, are suffering the ravages of this epidemic as our kūpuna did when the white man brought diseases to our island many years ago and almost wiped out the Hawaiian population. We must stop this horrible epidemic. In our striving to " Breaking the iee," our battles will be strategized to address several missions - education, prevention, rehabilitation and the judieial system on all islands. We have a start with HB2004 and the proposal to Congress through Congressman Ed Case. But I emphasize - this is only a start. This is war! We will not be defeated! ■

Donald B. Cataluna Trustee, Kaua'i and Ni'ihau