THE Government is fast-tracking new laws to address the growing crisis of glue sniffing among Fiji’s children.
As cases of volatile substance abuse rise among vulnerable youth, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said the People’s Coalition Government was fast-tracking legislation to curb access to harmful products.
“I am aware that regulations banning the sale of glue to children are being drafted, and it would be passed into law as soon as these come before Cabinet,” he said in ‘A Conversation with the PM’ column.
“Once this happens, the relevant authorities will have to ensure enforcement.”
He issued a clear message to retailers: profits must not come before people.
“Retail operators will need to come on board as well, and they will have to put the health and safety of our children ahead of profit.”
Mr Rabuka said the crisis was not just a public health emergency.
“It is also a social and law and order issue,” the Prime Minister said. “A whole-of-government and indeed a whole-of-society approach is the best way to tackle glue sniffing and to protect our children and grandchildren from the ill effects of the practice.”
The crackdown will be a coordinated effort across key ministries and agencies, involving the Fiji Competition and Commerce Commission, the Consumer Council of Fiji, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry for Policing, and the Ministries for Youth and Sports and Women, Children and Social Protection.
Civil society groups, community leaders, and faith-based organisations are also being called upon to join forces in tackling what Rabuka described as a “troubling and dangerous practice.”
