Deaddiction centre can deal with drug crisis
FIJI desperately needs a deaddiction centre to deal with the burgeoning drug crisis in the country.
This is according to Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran.
Speaking on The Lens@177, Ms Kiran also admitted that Fiji did not have the necessary support systems and facilities to adequately deal with the issue at this stage.
She also spoke at length about how this pernicious issue had affected children on the streets. Ms Kiran said they had been working to get people off the streets, however, many of them continued to return to the streets.
“Even though many partners have come along to help these children, we are trying to get them into training,” she said.
“We tried last year. We put some in jobs and we put some of them into training institutes. Then they start influencing others because we haven’t taken them to a de-addiction program.
“So right now we’re working with organisations on drug deaddiction programs. We desperately need a drug rehabilitation centre.
“We recognise that as an issue as a government so it’s a multi-pronged problem. And I think this problem has been there for too long.
“We don’t have the necessary support system and facilities. And it’s quite a challenge to make all that happen in a very short time.”
Ms Kiran said they were very thankful to many partners, including NGOs and faith-based groups, that had come forward to help.
“There’re some very passionate people in this, who have been worked day and night, and spent evenings with these children.
“So we get regular feedback on the problems. The solutions we don’t have.
“Like I said, drug deaddiction centre, we don’t have experts on drugs. “We’re finding all kinds of drugs. “When we first started, it seemed like it was a glue thing.
“But now you have meth, you have ice, cocaine found on our streets.
“So, the beast is much bigger than we can tackle right now.”