Lautoka Sikh Temple president Bayant Singh says the rise in the use of methamphetamine in the country has become a dangerous trend.
While speaking to The Fiji Times yesterday, Mr Singh said international cooperation on monitoring and investigation of the trafficking of meth needed to be strengthened.
“Drugs is becoming a dangerous precedent for our youths. Youths are the future of this country, and we want the youths to be thinking of a brighter future for Fiji and themselves,” Mr Singh said.
“These kind of activities need to be cared with improved monitoring and investigation policies and international corporation needs to be strengthened.
“For a very cohesive international partnership in tackling these drug activities.”
He said the judiciary should dish out deterrent sentences to those involved in getting the hard drugs into the country.
“Whoever is involved and anyone else that is thinking of doing this crime. Those involved need to look at the deterrents of all these things, the seriousness of it and the punishment that they can expect from the judiciary and government. The effects of drugs have a real impact on the marginal people. There would be some very serious consequences like violence, robbery and so forth. All sorts of crimes would be the order of the day.”
Mr Singh said as a leader of a faith-based organisation “they were trying their best to impart knowledge into families”.
“So, they can start helping the country and themselves to become more responsible,” he said.
“A lot of focus should be on the educational side as well, people who are not keen to send their children to school need to start thinking now.
“Government is also helping children to be educated, parents need to seize this opportunity.”
