Fijian minister says ‘government is really trying’ to tackle poverty, main driver of Fiji’s drug crisis

Poverty is believed to be the cause of a surge in drug use among the country’s Itaki, or native Fijian people.

Fiji’s Internal Affairs Minister Pio Tikoduadua denies the country is Drug Paradise And optimistically believe The government can turn things around.

Tikodu Adua’s comments come as police investigate a video posted online showing a young naked woman begging to be beaten.

The video prompted Prime Minister Sitiweni Rabuka to Issue a public warning About the dangers of recent drug use.

The video is the latest in a series of drug-fuelled incidents in Fiji that have gone viral on social media.

Tikoduadua told RNZ Pacific the videos proved the Government needed to take action.

“Incidents such as this highlight the urgent need to comprehensively address Fiji’s drug crisis,” he said.

Drug-Free World Fiji founder Kalesi Volatabu said drug-related deaths and incidents of substance abuse in the country were grossly underreported.

“A lot of unexplained deaths are linked to this,” she said.

“But there’s a lot going on in this country that’s not being reported. We’re not documenting everything that’s going on on the ground.”

“The high demand for drugs is exacerbated by their low price.

“One time, we heard how much it cost to buy meth on the street, because five years ago it was $50 for a shot. They said, ‘No, you give them $5 and they’ll give you a shot.'”

Waratahbu said drug users included both Itaki and Indo-Fijian people, but indigenous users were overrepresented.

“If you look at HIV infection, at least 80 per cent of the people are iTaukei – even at St Giles (mental hospital), there are a large number of iTaukei patients, and those who are detained are iTaukei. It’s very sad to see that.”

Health Ministry permanent secretary Jemesa Tudravu said there was no hard evidence that iTaukei were using it in disproportionate numbers, but anecdotally it appeared to be true.

Tikodu Adua said the high rate of iTaukei living below the poverty line might explain why.

“One of the issues the government is trying to address is poverty, which we have long highlighted as an area that was neglected by the previous government,” he said.

“They have done almost nothing to target and eradicate our drug problem.

“I raised this issue in 2019 but got nowhere except being attacked near Parliament for moving a motion inviting the government to allow the opposition to be part of the solution.”

However, Waratahbu believes a disproportionate number of the Indigenous population do not seek help because they fear the stigma associated with drug use.

“We don’t encourage our people to seek help when they are in trouble,” she said.

“There’s this stigma that holds everyone back from reaching out … because they’re afraid they and their families will be shamed.

“We were really taught, ‘If you’re in trouble, deal with it, get over it.'”

In April this year, Tikoduadua said that if the government failed to respond effectively to the crisis, Fiji would face the risk of becoming a “zombie state”.

The Government has allocated just over FJD 2 million in the 2024-2025 budget to launch the Narcotics Control Agency, which will include the establishment of a rehabilitation facility in Suva.

In comparison, the military spends close to FJD 170 million on peacekeeping, safety and security.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) Livai Driu said the national drug strategy was long overdue.

“From my personal perspective, this is urgent,” he said.

“We need a rehabilitation centre to interrogate and process people who are currently under the influence of drugs in the country.

“I’m calling for reform; if our organisation is structured the same way as New Zealand’s organisation is structured.”

Drew said police were currently focused on working with stakeholders to reduce supply.

“We are working hard to reduce the supply of drugs coming from overseas. Fiji is just being used as a transit point because these drugs belong to other countries,” he said.

Fiji has become Illegal drug trafficking The authorities are working hard to combat transnational crime.

Last October, Former Vice President of the National Football Association used to be Sentenced to four years in prison Millions of dollars’ worth of pseudoephedrine, a chemical used to produce methamphetamine, were illegally imported into New Zealand.

In January this year, Fijian police seized nearly five tonnes of methamphetamine with a street value of FJD 2 billion (NZD 1.68 billion).