Background
The Japanese invented the stimulant in 1893, calling it "shabu". During WWII, Japan's military leaders supplied it in liquid form to weary soldiers and munitions-plant workers, leading to the addiction of hundreds of thousands of Japanese. Japan banned shabu in the 1950's, but many laboratories that produced it relocated to South Korea, and Korea's consumption subsequently boomed. Its introduction into the USA in the late 1908's was through Korean traffickers into Hawaii.
Incidence
In recent years Japan's use has levelled off -- though it remains the drug's biggest market. Medical experts believe that 130,000 Koreans are addicted to ice, called "hiroppon" in Korea. In 1989, ice surpassed marijuana and cocaine as Hawaii's principal drug problem. The Honolulu Police Department estimate that ice was a factor in 70% of spouse-abuse cases in one month. One hospital averages six ice overdoses a day.