THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

111

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS OR DROPOUT CENTERS FOR ADOLESCENTS WHO SUFFER FROM DRUG ADDICTION.

 

WHEREAS, substance abuse prevention is a high priority for the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the methamphetamine or "ice" epidemic in Hawaii is a serious public health crisis that must be immediately abated to prevent further destruction of lives and families and the costly consumption of government resources; and

WHEREAS, the Joint House-Senate Task Force on Ice and Drug Abatement (Task Force) was created to find solutions to Hawaii's ice problem, and spent nearly 80 hours collecting information, listening to over 400 people, and attending community and town hall meetings; and

WHEREAS, data collected by the Task Force overwhelmingly suggest that since the epidemic began around 1997, the use and abuse of ice continues to grow rapidly; and

WHEREAS, ice is the drug of choice for those adolescents who have entered the juvenile justice system; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force has concluded that the solution to the ice epidemic is treatment of the addicted and prevention against the spread of drug addiction; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force therefore believes that early intervention and treatment of adolescents should be the highest funding priority, and, currently, the treatment gap of adolescents who need treatment but do not receive treatment is over 5,000 based on both state and federal estimates; and

WHEREAS, the Task force finds that the State's limited financial resources are better spent on treatment and prevention programs for adolescents than on mandatory drug testing, but at the same time, current levels of funding for adolescent treatment are inadequate to protect our investment in Hawaii's youth; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force finds that school-based treatment programs are successful in returning students to a drug-free lifestyle, and should be expanded to the middle school level; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force is concerned that adolescents who drop out of school no longer have access to school-based treatment programs and have nowhere to turn to for help with drug addiction, except for the juvenile justice system or privately-paid treatment; and

WHEREAS, the Task Force recommends that these youths be identified and treated, and that the Department of Education explore the feasibility of creating alternative schools or dropout centers for them, along with providing recommendations and cost analysis of such programs; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Department of Education is requested to explore the feasibility of establishing alternative schools or dropout centers for adolescents who suffer from drug addiction; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education report its recommendations and cost analysis to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the Superintendent of Education.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Alternative Schools or Dropout Centers For Adolescents