Editorial comment – On the drug trail

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Plants believed to be marijuana uprooted by Police in one of their earlier raids. Picture: FT FILE/SUPPLIED

The revelation by the Fiji Police Force that there have been 109 drug cases involving children below the age of 18 years over the past five years is cause for concern. This isn’t an issue that will easily go away.

In fact it is becoming a part of our lives, something that we must appropriately deal with. We learn that this included cases from January to May this year.

The drug offences included unlawful cultivation, unlawful possession and unlawful supply of illicit drugs.

According to police, the highest number of drug cases involving juveniles was recorded in 2019 with 32 cases — 31 of which involved the unlawful possession of illicit drugs and one case of unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs.

In 2020, 29 cases were recorded, 18 cases were recorded in 2021, 16 in 2018, while 2017 recorded the lowest with eight cases.

However, between the months of January and May of this year alone, six cases involving juveniles found in possession of illicit drugs have already been recorded.

While unlawful possession of illicit drugs was of concern — with 101 cases in the past five years, illicit drug cultivation by children below the age of 18 was also worrying as seven cases were recorded within that same time period.

We reported that police also said 71 juvenile drug cases involving 17-year-olds were recorded within the five-year period, 20 cases involved children who were 16, 10 involved 15-year-olds, there were seven cases involving 14-year-olds and one 13-year-old in 2019.

In terms of division, the West recorded the highest with 42 cases followed by the Southern Division with 32, North with 22, eight from the East and Central Division recording the least with five cases. In the face of that, hundreds of children in schools across Suva dressed up in red to mark International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADAIT), or World Drug Day on Friday last week.

The theme for 2022 was “Addressing Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crisis” and was aimed at addressing the physical and psychological impact of substance abuse, drug overdose deaths, and drug-related problems.

IDADAIT is celebrated every year on June 26. There can be no doubts about the fact that drugs are available and people are negatively impacted by the sale of drugs in most urban centres around the country. There are people who make money from the sale of drugs.

Our challenge now is to understand the drug trade, and appropriately deal with it.

It certainly isn’t going to be a walk in the park so to speak, but it is an issue that needs a united front. The police need the support of the masses to fight the drug war. That’s why we all must come in.

We know what must be done. We know the importance of effectively fighting this war, and we know why we must engage in the campaign to make a difference. That starts from within us!

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