Research in illicit drugs has often emphasized the disparity between the perceived threat of a substance and the actual social harm involved. In 1989 and 1990 there was much media and political concern about use of the drug "ice," or smokable crystal methamphetamine, which was believed to pose a social threat potentially as great as that of crack cocaine. This concern was not sustained, however, and references to the topic diminished sharply within a few months. The incident offers a valuable opportunity to trace the history of a drug panic from its origins to its eclipse. This article places particular emphasis on the role of domestic political divisions, especially in Hawaii, in citing the panic; the terms "epidemic" and "explosion" emerged from partisan and bureaucratic rivalries within that state. The incident illustrates both the manner in which local problems come to be projected onto the national political scene and the limitations inherent in such a process. Table, references