So drug dealers are making illicit drugs cheaper and offering them on credit! What in the world are we coming to?
This is scary! Imagine that! You can get hard drugs on credit! What else should we be aware of now?
We learn that the general thinking is that giving out drugs on credit increases the risk of people becoming trapped in addiction and potentially fueling the spread of HIV.
That’s according to the Rainbow Pride Foundation’s acting chief executive, Asaeli Sinusetaki, who said information gathered during the organisation’s moonlight clinic outreach earlier this month indicated that drugs were becoming increasingly accessible to people living and using drugs on the streets.
He said information from the ground suggested drug dealers were lowering prices and, in some cases, allowing users to obtain drugs on credit.
The credit arrangements could deepen dependency by leaving users with debts to suppliers and making it harder for them to break away from drug use.
Then think about this! Now that some people are taking drugs on credit, you have to wonder how on earth they are going to pay for that!
We can only hope there is no connection to crime.
Mr Sinusetaki said injecting drug use was also common among some users seeking a quick high, while limited finances often meant several people pooled their money to buy drugs and share them.
He said unlike overseas, where individuals might have greater financial means to purchase drugs themselves, drug users in Fiji often had to pool resources and share.
Now that is another serious factor. It paves the way for shared needles!
Mr Sinusetaki warned that sharing drugs could also involve needles, increasing the risk of HIV transmission and other infections.
He called for the Government to urgently implement a needle-and-syringe exchange program as part of a wider harm-reduction response.
He stressed that harm reduction was not about encouraging drug use, but about acting now to prevent further harm and protect people from its consequences.
Delays, he said, could come at a significant human cost.
He warned that the longer decisions were delayed, the greater the number of people who could become infected, affected or potentially die from HIV and AIDS.
We say this: Let’s be united. We must be engaged! We must be aware and we must be passionate about this war against drugs.
This is a problem that affects our families, our communities and our future.
We cannot afford complacency when drugs are becoming more accessible, addiction is taking hold and the risk of HIV transmission is real.
We need honest conversations, stronger prevention, effective enforcement and appropriate support for those struggling with addiction.
We will continue to say this: The Government, communities, health workers, law enforcement, families and individuals all have a role to play.
The challenge is enormous, but so is our responsibility. This is a fight we cannot afford to lose.
