Opposition leader Inia Seruiratu says the link between poverty, illicit drugs and culturally accepted drugs cannot be ignored.

He said there was a need to look at the issue holistically and to ensure strategies to combat hard drugs also took into account ‘legal’ drugs like alcohol, cigarettes and kava.

“As we stand to devise strategies to combat the pandemic we now have at hand, often we overlook the relationship between persecuted drugs and culturally accepted drugs such as kava, tobacco, and alcohol,” Mr Seruiratu said.

“For a child, their beginnings start with a roll of cigarette, a bowl of kava, or a glass of alcohol. These are their gateways to hard drugs.”

He said poverty also played a big part in pushing people to sell illicit drugs.

“On the same token, while community health is always paramount in combating such “disasters” the economic impact is just as immense.

“And of course, the issues of rising poverty and increasing crime cannot be dissociated wholly from the ever-rising incidences of drug abuse, including peddling.

“These matters should be considered holistically.”   

Mr Seruiratu said while Government efforts in the fight against drugs, through the formulation of the Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023-2028 and the setting up of the Narcotics Bureau and Drug Rehabilitation Facilities was acknowledged, “this is a battle that government should not fight alone.”

“It will require the collective efforts of all sections of the community including the NGO’s, civil society, religious organisations, and the community at large, together with the support of our regional and international partners.