Fiji's capital, Suva city (file photo) Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Poverty is being blamed for soaring drug use amongst iTaukei or indigenous Fijians in the country.
Fiji's Home Affairs Minister Pio TIkoduadua denies claims the country is a drug haven and is optimistic the government can turn things around.
"One of the issues that government is really working at is trying to resolve the issue of poverty." - Minister Pio Tikoduadua
Tikoduadua's comments come as police investigate footage posted online of a young naked woman reportedly begging for a hit.
The video prompted Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to issue a public warning about the danger of doing drugs recently.
The footage is the latest in a series of drug-fuelled incidents in Fiji that have gone viral on social media.
Tikoduadua told RNZ Pacific the videos are proof the government needs to act.
"Incidents as such, they highlight the urgent need to address the drug crisis comprehensively here in Fiji," he said.
Kalesi Volatabu Photo: Facebook / Drug Free World - Fiji
Drug-Free World Fiji founder Kalesi Volatabu said drug-related deaths and substance abuse is grossly under-reported in the country.
"There's been a lot of unexplained deaths attached to it," she said.
"But there's so many things that are unreported in this country. We're not capturing everything that's happening on the ground.
"The high demand for drugs is exacerbated by their affordability.
"In one incident we heard - how much is it to get ice on the street - because five years ago it was $50 for a point. And they said, 'nah man, you give $5 and they can give you a shot'."
Volatabu said drug users were made up of both the iTaukei and Indo-Fijian ethnic communities, but indigenous users were over-represented.
"If you look at the HIV status, at least 80 percent of that are iTaukei - even in St Giles [Psychiatric Hospital], huge cohort [are] iTaukei, those in custody are iTaukei. It's quite sad to see."
Health Ministry permanent secretary Jemesa Tudravu said there is no hard evidence to suggest iTaukei are using in disproportionate numbers, but anecdotally this seems to be true.
Tikoduadua said the high ratio of iTaukei living below the poverty line could help explain why.
"One of the issues that government is really working at is trying to resolve the issue of poverty, which we have been highlighting for a very long time as being the area of neglect of the past government," he said.
"Little was done by them to target and eradicate our drug problem.
"I raised this issue in 2019 and nothing was done, except I got assaulted near Parliament for raising a motion inviting the government to allow the opposition to be part of the solution."
However, Volatabu believes the indigenous population are disproportionately represented because they do not seek help due to the stigma associated with drug use.
"We don't encourage our people to seek the help when they're in trouble," she said.
"The stigma stops everyone from reaching out….for fear shame is brought to them and to the family.
"We literally had this grooming of 'if you have trouble, deal with it, get over'."
In April, Tikoduadua said that Fiji risked becoming "a nation of zombies" if the government failed to deal with the crisis.
The government allocated just over FJ$2 million in the 2024-2025 Budget to initiate a Narcotics Bureau, which will include the establishment of a rehabilitation facility in Suva.
In comparison, the military got close to FJ$170m for peacekeeping, safety and security.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Livai Driu, said a national narcotics strategy was overdue.
"From my personal point of view this is urgent," he said.
"We need a rehabilitation centre for us to grill and deal with people impacted by hard drugs that are in the country now.
"I'm calling for reform; if we have the same structure you have back there in New Zealand within our organisational structure."
Driu said the focus for police right now is working with stakeholders to reduce supply.
"We are trying to reduce the supply of drugs that are coming in from overseas. Fiji is just used as a transit point because the consignments belong to other countries," he said.
About 1.1 tonnes of methamphetamine was found concealed in containers in the Fijian town of Nadi, police said on 21 January, 2024. Photo: Supplied/ Fiji Police
Fiji has established a reputation as a hub of illicit drug trafficking as authorities try to grapple with transnational crimes.
In October last year, the former vice-president of the country's football association was jailed for four years in New Zealand for illegally importing millions of dollars' worth of pseudoephedrine, a chemical used in the production of methamphetamine.
In January, Fiji police seized almost five tonnes of methamphetamine with a street value of FJ$2 billion (NZ$1.68b).