Head of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, has criticised the Fiji National Counter-Narcotics Strategy 2023-2028, saying it overlooks youths – the group most vulnerable to the illegal drug trade.
He believes the current approach in dealing with rising drug busts has ‘fallen short’ and failed to address the problem.
Archbishop Loy Chong has also questioned the need for a second round of consultation for the establishment of a Narcotics Bill when the first Strategy, approved by Cabinet in June 2024 has failed to include important issues.
“They came up with a narcotic strategy, but now they’re doing another consultation. So obviously they think that that consultation was not effective according to them,” he said.
“In the Narcotic Plan, and this is the key strategic pillars covered by the Counter-Narcotic Strategy Framework, it includes demand reduction, supply reduction, harm reduction, legal reform, data collection, drug court.
“But there is nothing about our young people who are the most affected, vulnerable.
“So if you’re not discussing the most vulnerable, then you’re missing the most important issue. If you’re not listening to the experience of these young people, or even get them to participate then you miss the whole point.
“I was at the Fiji National University for this consultation. There were no students there, and yet the students are the most vulnerable when it comes to this thing.”
The Government, he said should review this strategy because it has not considered the plight of youths.
“I told them at the consultation to do a social analysis. They developed a process for addressing the problem but I’m not too sure what methodology they’re using.
“You have to have a good methodology, and a methodology that will address the problem. Obviously you see the failures in that consultation process, because the strategic pillars do not say anything about young people.”
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