Nine boys died from drug overdoses last year, says Fiji Police Narcotics Division officer Inspector Usaia Donu.
Speaking during the recent All Nations Christian Fellowship Generation Youth Conference in Lautoka, Insp Donu said the boys had overdosed on methamphetamine.
“In 2024, the Minister for Women and Children was saying in the newspaper that eight boys in Nadi died from meth overdose,” he said.
“And then recently I visited a hospital here and the doctors told me nine young boys just died from drug overdose.
“The doctors said they could not help them. That news really saddened me because this is what we are seeing today.”
He said Fiji’s youths needed to understand and realise the physical and mental impact of the meth each time they consume it.
“When you come back down from your high, you will start to have depression, pain and paranoia. When you have paranoia, you will have no rest.
“The chemical in your brain that controls your feelings of joy and happiness is affected by the number of drugs you take.
“You are designed in such a way that these chemicals should only be used to worship God.
“When you use it for other things like drugs you will fall to a level that is referred to as the dark side of drugs.
“You will feel pain because you are unable to reach that high that drugs give you.”
Insp Donu explained white drugs had a long history of destabilising people’s physical and mental health.
“Soldiers will be familiar with the story. The white drug was used in World War I to keep soldiers awake and fight at night. It took away people’s fears.
“Today it is used by people who want to stay awake for other reasons, and they still are without that fear. This is why I tell our officers, if you are going to arrest a person on meth, you need to have back up. Because they will not be afraid.”
Police have yet to confirm whether the nine overdosed cases were from the West or other divisions.
