WHEREAS, a 2000 Department of Health Survey established that 14,000 students, grades 6 to 12, are in need of substance abuse treatment and less than 6% of the 14,000 students receives such treatment; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety estimated that more than 80% of their prisoners have substance abuse problems and fewer than 20% of them are getting treatment; and

WHEREAS, United States Attorney Ed Kubo has called Hawaii the "ice" (crystal methamphetamine) capital of the country; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii 1998 Adult Household Survey indicated that 89,718 adults, or approximately 10% of the adults in Hawaii, meet the criteria for needing treatment for alcohol, drugs, or both alcohol and drugs and the Department of Health has sufficient resources to treat only 2,500 adults annually, or less than 3% of the population in need; and

WHEREAS, in the State of Hawaii for the year 2000, the total cost for alcohol and drug abuse was almost $1 billion with costs due to alcohol dependence at approximately $600 million and other drugs at $400 million; and

WHEREAS, those costs included lost productivity due to illnesses and death, health care, including treatment and other related diseases, motor vehicle crashes, crime and incarceration, and other related costs; and

WHEREAS, there are very likely many public and private grants and programs that are not utilized in Hawaii; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the Hawaii congressional delegation is requested to make every effort to obtain increased federal funding for drug treatment programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Department of Health seek public and private grants and programs to deal with Hawaii's substance abuse problems; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Governor of the State of Hawaii and all members of Hawaii's Congressional delegation.

Report Title:

Increased federal funding for drug treatment