As with crime statistics in general, Hawaii’s statistics for drug offense arrests differ markedly from those of the nation as a whole. The drug offense arrest rate per 100,000 population for the U.S. was lower than the Hawaii rate from 1982-1986. In 1987, the U.S. rate exceeded the Hawaii rate and continued to increase to more than twice the Hawaii rate by 1998. The 1998 estimate of total drug offense arrests in the Nation amounted to almost 11 percent of the estimated arrests for all offenses except traffic. In Hawaii in 1998, only slightly more than 5 percent of arrests were for drug offenses. The 1998 difference in the proportion of drug arrests accounted for by juveniles -- about 13 percent in the Nation vs. 23 percent in Hawaii -- is more indicative of an unusually low adult drug offense rate in Hawaii than a high juvenile drug offense arrest rate. Adult and juvenile drug offense arrests in Hawaii declined from the high levels set in 1983-1985 to reach their lowest point in 10 years in 1991. After 1991, drug offense arrests of adults increased slightly before resuming their decline to reach, in 1998, their lowest point in the 17-year study period. Notes, figures