Pubdate: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 Source: Honolulu Advertiser (HI) Copyright: 2003 The Honolulu Advertiser, a division of Gannett Co. Inc. Contact: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/195 Author: George Gersaba Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Note: To read about the "ice epidemic" in Hawaii, go to http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii . SOLVING ICE PROBLEM REQUIRES NEW THINKING Since the people from Kahuku to Kahalu'u went out and held signs declaring that they're sick of the drug problem in their neighborhoods, there's been a lot of stories concerning the ongoing crystal meth problem. Unfortunately, feel-good activities like holding signs do nothing to temporarily or permanently solve the drug problem. Imposing harsher penalties on drug offenders won't work, either, because that's what we've been doing all along, with little result. Blue-ribbon panels created by the governor's office discussing the drug problem won't work, either, because they don't involve any stakeholders. (I know, let's form an anti-drug task force. Yeah, right.) We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. We have to use our collective creativity in designing new strategies to fight this problem. That's where the solution lies. George Gersaba - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk