THE church, government and the vanua need to work together to fight Fiji’s drug crisis, says Fiji Police Force’s narcotics division awareness officer Inspector Usaia Donu.
While speaking to youths during the recent All-Nations Christian Fellowship Generation Youth Conference in Lautoka, Insp Donu said the three institutions were running their own programs on drug awareness.
“For more than 10 years I have been going on public awareness campaigns with ministers,” he said.
“What I have seen is government is running on its own line, the church is also running in its own line and so is the vanua.
“The point where they have to meet, no one is looking at that.”
To address this, Insp Donu will soon engage the vanua to introduce a Drug Free Village campaign.
“I received a call from the Tui Vitogo and he requested that we take our campaign to the vanua.
“So we will be working together to bring all of our stakeholders from the church, the vanua and government to take our message to our villages.
“We are in discussion with the talatala qase to take this campaign to our villages.
“This is one way we can address Fiji’s drug problem.”
He said a lot of times these institutions worked separately.
“We have to work together. The church, government and the vanua.”
Preaching to youth members of the All Nations church, Insp Donu described the dangers of consuming marijuana and methamphetamine.
“Marijuana was the first drug we found but the difference between meth and marijuana is very clear.
“When you use marijuana, it takes you to a certain high as it affects a part of your brain that controls your emotions and your happiness. When you reach that high you don’t want to come back down.
“But when you take the white powder, it takes you to another level. You have that ‘high’ but it comes with a ‘rush’.
“When you have that ‘rush’ you want to stay there all the time. You don’t want to come back down. All you care about is staying there.
“So you forget about everything else.”
Insp Donu called on the youths to strengthen their faith in God to keep them away from the dark side of society.
