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Posted: Monday, January 16th, 2006 8:07 AM HST

'Ice' claiming more lives

By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) _ The city's chief medical examiner says deaths from crystal methamphetamine rose 27 percent last year in Honolulu. Chief Medical Examiner Doctor Kanthi De Alwis says the statistic set a record for ice-related fatalities for the second year in a row. The drug was responsible for 85 deaths in 2005 compared with 67 lives it claimed in 2004. The previous benchmark was 62 deaths in 2002. De Alwis says the record number of deaths reflects the widespread use of the drug. Alan Shinn is director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii. He says the latest figures show there's a need for more drug education. Use of crystal methamphetamine has been linked to enlargement of the heart, blocked blood vessels and high blood pressure. Those conditions can lead to death from heart attack, stroke and bronchial asthma attack. (Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.)