About 3500 drug-related cases were recorded by the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council (NAASC) last year, representing about 1.75 per cent of school students.
This was shared during Assistant Minister for Education Iliesa Vanawalu’s end of week statement in Parliament yesterday.
He said the ministry was taking measures to ensure the protection of students from harm caused by drugs and other illicit substance through proper legislation, education, and social support services.
“In 2022, there were 2700 cases, which represent 1.35 per cent of the registered students and in 2023, there were 3500 cases, which represented 1.75 per cent of the students,” he said.
“The percentage of students reported to be using drugs is less than 2 per cent. Even though the percentage is more, a gradual increase in three years is a concern and will need the full attention of all stakeholders.
“We cannot address the issue of drug use and abuse unless we answer the “why” question. Why do they use drugs? Why? And secondly, there is a need to understand the relationship between the user and the drug of their choice.”
He said over the years, the NSAAC gathered evidence through research and referral reports from school about why students used drugs, and the reasons ranged from curiosity, peer pressure to coping mechanisms.
And these children, Mr Vanawalu said, had become victims, users and in some cases, peddlers and mules of the adults around them.
“The other level is students being exploited by adults to peddle drugs for petty cash, the use of drugs by students contribute to many of the social ills, school dropouts, mental health issues, economical disempowerment, rise in our petty crimes, increase in unplanned and unwanted pregnancy.
“And general decays in the morale and the social fabric of our society today. We must be willing to walk collaboratively between our ministries and indeed across the floor of this August House to address the issue effectively.”
He said this widespread drug scourge must be addressed as a national security crisis, a public health crisis, a social crisis and economic crisis, a community crisis and an individual crisis which transcended religions, cultures, geographical area, status, and educational identity.
“So, in this regard, our ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs in the development of our National Narcotics Strategy. The strategy outlines the role on each ministry and stakeholders in addressing the problem of drugs in our society.
“The ministry has also been working to draft the Volatile Substance Abuse Act 2024, the drugs regulation is currently in the workflow circulation and we investigate and once adopted, will provide more power to our teams and stakeholders to uphold the retailers and the peddlers of getaway drugs by our current society today.
“The possibility of penalties and the threat of prosecution will act as additional deterrent to those peddling and using inhalants to get high in the society that we are in and we can actually see the impact in our country today.”
