Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 132 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Health to implement a public educational campaign on the dangers of crystal methamphetamine.

Testimony supporting this measure was received from the Department of Education and the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney. The Department of Health opposed this measure citing its possible impact on the executive budget.

Your Committee finds that use of crystal methamphetamine in Hawaii has reached epidemic proportions. Abuse of this drug is so prevalent that it is associated with ninety per cent of child and domestic abuse cases, thirty-six per cent of all arrests of males, and thirty-nine per cent of adult admissions for treatment by the Department of Health in Hawaii. Its ill effects on children, adults, relationships, the family structure, and society are known and uncontroverted. However, use of this devastating addictive drug continues. As with any health epidemic, informing the public as to how to prevent, manage, and eliminate drug abuse is essential to stemming the epidemic. The Department of Health must redouble its public education efforts to ensure that this drug abuse epidemic does not reach proportions that are beyond control.

Your Committee has amended this measure by eliminating the requirement that the Department of Health report to the Legislature on the effectiveness of past public educational campaigns and by requesting the participation of the Coalition for a Drug Free Hawaii.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 132, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 132, S.D. 1.