Justice Minister Siromi Turaga told Parliament yesterday that young adults remain at the centre of Fiji’s drug crisis, with those aged 18 to 35 accounting for 65% of all drug-related arrests.
“The sentencing guidelines exist and will include training and case law for our judiciary—covering drug offenders, users and distributors,” Turaga said.
“Our judiciary applies the law as intended: to deter, to denounce and to punish.”
He said the data shows a clear demographic pattern.
“The 18 to 35 age group is the most significant age category affected,” he said.
“The second most affected group is 36 to 55 years, contributing 29% of arrests, while juveniles below 18 make up around 4%. Those aged 56 and older form only a small percentage.”
Turaga also highlighted disproportionate impacts on the iTaukei community, saying they accounted for 80% of drug-related arrests in the first half of 2020, while men made up 98% of all arrests.
He said many offenders were farmers, unemployed or casually employed, reflecting the “vulnerability of young adults, particularly men from the iTaukei community, to drugs.”
Turaga added that any changes to penalties must follow the proper legal process.
“Any changes must be within the context of the law, with full public consultation,” he said.
“Where penalties need to be more severe, this government will respond—with the right resources, legal frameworks and community-based services.”
