Fiji

[budman]

Support a must for drug program

The Fiji Times
Monday, July 03, 2006

DETOXICATING someone addicted to marijuana will need a lot of will, says Fiji College of General Practitioners president, Doctor Abdul Wahid Khan.

He was commenting on plans by an international Gospel Ministry to set up a rehabilitation home for drug users.

The proposed home in Lami, to be called Victory Outreach, will offer drug rehabilitation using Bibli-cally-based methods.

Rehabilitating someone with marijuana addiction needs an intense amount of will and if Biblical means are used, then why not, said Dr Khan.

It is important that the user has the will and there is support available, he said.

Dr Khan said while at St Giles, marijuana patients were removed from the source.

But he said that when they went back into society, it was important that support was readily available for them.

Dr Khan said using psychological means was important.

He said even though there may have been rehabilitation proposals to the Ministry of Health before, the ministry was probably limited in its resources.

Fiji Nurses Association general secretary Kuini Lutua said such an initiative by an independent Gospel group should be supported.

Ms Lutua said while she was not in a position to comment on the drug rehabilitation problem at St Giles Hospital, early intervention was just as important.

Ms Lutua said some medical orderlies and nurses had been asking when a rehabilitation centre would be set up but people couldn't wait for the Government.

The home is an initiative of Fiji-born Gospel artist, Esther King and her friends from Victory International Ministry.

Ms King said former drug users would help out with the year-long detox programme.

[palmspringsbum]

Indepth Analysis

MARIJUANA LEAVES

By fijivillage
Feb 8, 2007, 15:32


In crack down mode, drug users and dealers are being tracked down by the police and military in joint operations against marijuana abuse and its negative social impacts.

<table class=posttable align=right width=200><tr><td class=postcell><img class=postimg src=bin/khan_jahir.jpg></td></tr><tr><td class=postcap align=center>Police Director Uniform Operations Jahir Khan</td></tr></table>To date, it has been revealed that the military is taking in at least ten people every night to the Queen Elizabeth Barracks (QEB) in relation to marijuana.

Republic of Fiji Military Force’s (RFMF) Staff Officer Operations, Major Sitiveni Qiliho said that their cleanup operation was to ensure that all marijuana cultivators, dealers and those who were found in possession of the drug were handed to the police.

Major Qiliho added that these people were taken to QEB, questioned and educated on drug abuse before they were handed to the police.

He said that their operations were now nationwide as they cracked down on the rising number of marijuana farmers and dealers in the country.

In an interview with Fijivillage, Police Director Uniform Operations, Jahir Khan said that marijuana abuse has become a national problem and he confirmed that they are working with the RFMF to shut down such illegal activities.

<table class=posttable align=left width=200><tr><td class=postcell><img class=postimg src=bin/fiji_military.jpg></td></tr><tr><td class=postcap>Drug users and dealers are being tracked down by the military and police.</td></tr></table>Saint Giles Hospital Medical Officer, Dr Sitiveni Yanuyanutawa has welcomed the joint operations. He said that it is a problem prevalent amongst our youths.

The Young People’s Concerned Network (YPCN) are planning a more proactive approach with regards to youths and marijuana abuse.

YPCN Secretary, Miri Lalagavesi said marijuana abuse was becoming a real worry among her peers and that the YPCN would begin awareness programmes in February which included workshops and other activities.

Lalagavesi said that families played an important role too and that they need to take action in preventing their youths from falling into the marijuana abuse trap.

Focusing on recovery, the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Co-ordinator Shameema Ali also believes that a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts could be set up with the help of other civil society organisations.

Indigenous Fijians make up 70 percent of those admitted at St. Giles through marijuana abuse, Indo-Fijians consist of 18 percent and people of other races make up 12 percent.

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