The Fiji Council of Social Services has called for an integrated yet specific intervention with various groups of society to combat the rise of drugs use in Fiji, in particular Methamphetamine.
FCOSS Executive Director Vani Catanasiga said several calls that the curbing cannot be done by authorities alone is true yet work needs to be done with stakeholders and communities to address issues which is to be broken down into layman’s terms.
“Reports coming in from our divisional coordinators on a weekly basis keep showing the need to have an integrated approach at different levels. Young people are using it, it is being peddled knowingly in communities. We can no longer be hush-hush about it. Talk about it, be concerned and alert those around you.”
“The first intervention is to be done with the vulnerable in society which is children and youth and the second is the one with law enforcement because we need to all be on the same page.”
Catanasiga said it was disheartening to find out that ice was also found at the school on Vanua Levu.
“This is just a tip of the iceberg, but if ice can be found in a rural school on Vanua Levu than it is safe to say it is everywhere in Fiji.”
“We need to have honest people looking into this because there are so many allegations of corruption on so many levels.”
At the Bua Provincial Council meeting last week, Divisional Police Commander Northern Kemueli Baledrokadroka said Police were seeking to work together with other counterparts to curb the drug use problem which was dangerously growing in Fiji.
