The biggest user of drugs in Fiji are iTaukei, says Minister for Home Affairs Pio Tikoduadua

He says, this is almost around 65 to 70 percent of the country’s population already.

He says, the deep question is, why do they engage in this activities in the first place?

“90 percent of the users are iTaukei, 90 percent of the pushers are iTaukei, 90 percent of Christians are iTaukei, and 90 percent of prisoners are iTaukei. We are already looking at isolating this area,” Tikoduadua said.

“We need to target that first, before we can actually do something proper about this drug issue. This is already over half of the country’s population”, he added.

A draft counter narcotic strategy has been put together by partners, and will be launched once the findings are tabled in parliament.

“This was put together by the ministry and a whole of government committee, including our partners, based on international best practice and what we will analyse right now, is the narcotic problem we have”, he said.

Tikoduadua says a whole of nation approach is needed to attack this drug problem, while at the same time, there is a greater need to influence people not to use it.

“We’re trying to find the best way to deal with this narcotic issue. Government influence is at a wider space, not only preventing, but also dealing with those who are victims, that is the reality of life,” he said.

The Counter Narcotic Strategy is currently at its initial stage, and once completed, will be tabled in parliament.