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There is a house with an excellent location in the suburbs where most of the young people gather to take methamphetamine.
However, for security reasons, the residents’ names will not be revealed in this article.
“Inside the abandoned empty space, small plastic bags that once held ice cubes were scattered on the floor,” said one resident who was allowed inside.
“I saw discarded syringes in the corners of the floor and walls.”
I met this informant, Mr. X, by chance. He said that most young people under the age of 35 like to hang out at home. The curtains are always drawn, separating the people in the house from the outside world and vice versa.
“The room was dark and there was a candle burning to heat and liquefy a substance I think was ice. They would then inject themselves. I didn’t stay long before I left,” Mr X said.
Years ago this was a family home. The doors can be opened to let in fresh air and the front lawn has a hedge filled with a variety of plants.
There is a public path next to the hotel that leads to the nearby bus stop and is often used by school children and workers to catch the morning bus to Suva city, which is a 20-minute drive away.
Young people in the suburbs say there is another house nearby that has been abandoned after a fire destroyed part of it several years ago. Today, it has become a gathering place for drug addicts and alcoholics.
“No one comes to bother us because people are busy doing their own things. The police used to patrol here but now they hardly come. Even if they come, we can only see them from a distance.
Police nearby confirmed that several suspects have been arrested in the suburb in connection with the drug methamphetamine or ice. The situation is also the same along the Lami-Nausori corridor.
Suspected drug-related death
I attended a funeral last month and was shocked to find that the eulogy given by the deceased’s family members turned from the usual praise to a warning against drug use.
There was controversy that the young man died from taking methamphetamine, but it was not until that eulogy that I saw the truth of the matter.
The relative changed his tone during his eulogy and encouraged other young people and peers sitting in the church pews to stay away from drugs.
His family was tight-lipped about the circumstances of his death, yet they made no secret of it during the funeral.
I never heard Talatala elaborate further on the drug problem during the funeral summons. He was more outspoken, waving his arms at everyone present.
“I know some of you are friends and have been involved in these illegal activities at some stage – but now you must act.
“Material life is full of sins and keeps many people away from reality. You must refocus on the construction of spiritual life,” said Talatala
The funeral left me with hope. It was truly brave that the family chose to share this pressing concern at that moment.
The deceased was 29. The first known incident in the area was a 19-year-old who went missing on the night of this year’s Coca-Cola Games and returned home feeling unwell.
A family member said the teenager returned to his mother a day later looking exhausted, with bags under his eyes and a pale face. The little boy was later rushed to hospital with a bloody nose.
Doctors found high levels of illegal drugs in his system, the relative said. The boy later confessed his crime and sought forgiveness before dying.
These deaths have come as a shock to many other families who knew them, yet, according to a lay missionary who is active in youth activities in the area, “some parents are still in denial about this new menace that is bewitching the younger generation.
“Many parents are so busy holding down jobs and making ends meet that they don’t have time to keep track of their teenage children’s whereabouts. There are also displaced young people who don’t live with their parents – biliraki (neglected and bullied),” he said.
“How much evidence do we need to believe a story like this? There may be others who have similar ideas. But the bottom line is that teaching should start at home and violations should be reported.
Raid
In April, residents in the same suburb worked with a different church, including police, to raid a home suspected of manufacturing methamphetamine.
Mr Q, a resident who took part in the raid, said the house was being looked after by a young relative who was suspected of manufacturing methamphetamine.
But no one was arrested.
“The suspect is still at large as it seemed the suspect got the warning and left in time when we raided the premises except for some chemicals and needles.”
The resident said that the homeowner was shocked when he heard the news and has now moved back to his home.
Tomu Vunakece’s document, The Role of Youth in Fiji’s Development, reported that during the 1960s and 1970s, the suburb’s population was estimated to be over 12,000, of which 7,000 were under the age of 21.
Taking into account the increase in the number of houses occupied by extended family members and nearby shanty towns, it can be assumed that this number will double in fifty years.
St Giles
Last week, this newspaper reported on a 14-year-old boy being admitted to St Giles Mental Hospital for drug abuse, becoming the hospital’s youngest patient. In May, The Fiji Times reported that cannabis, methamphetamine and alcohol were the most common reasons people were admitted to St Giles Mental Hospital so far this year.
Medical Director Balram Pandit told the talanoa meeting at the Fiji National University’s Nasinu campus that the hospital had received 8000 patients.
Pandit spoke on the topic of ‘Tackling Illicit Drugs and Substance Use Disorders’ and said the number was much higher than the more than 6,000 cases recorded in previous years.
“If you compare the data from the last 10 years, the number of patients visiting St Giles Hospital has almost doubled,” Dr Pandit said.
“These numbers used to be specifically related to substance abuse, with 20 to 30 patients per month being diagnosed with pure substance abuse or substance-related problems.
“When we look at this year’s data, we had 103 hospitalizations in January alone.
“Surprisingly, in February the number of patients was 53, and in March and April it was 50 to 100 patients.”
Agriculture and Waterways Minister Vatimi Rayalu
Minister Watimi Rayaru issued a strong warning about the impact of drugs on iTaukei youth at the opening of Lau Youth iYaubula Day this month
“Our children are dying, our children are being admitted to mental hospitals, our children are selling drugs. We must wake up to the fact that these are direct threats that are destroying the iTaukei people.
He urged parents to spend quality family time with their children.
“It is also important to keep an eye on our children and be aware of their activities,” he said.
“Let’s work together to create a better future, because if we don’t do anything, we’re going to be stuck.”
Mr Rayalu said he grew up in the suburb of Raiwai and would often go there to talk to young people, encouraging them to stay away from drugs by taking part in sports.
“These people have no land to cultivate and live in barracks.
“Three weeks ago, two people died and three people were admitted to a mental hospital. The young people were aged between 18 and 25.
He said adults should “stop being negligent” and “wake up” to what children are doing.
“If you see a teenager taking drugs, call the police and resolve it, don’t harbor any ill will.”
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