Illicit Drug use in the Asia Pacific Region - Burnet Institute

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Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in the Asia–Pacific region 298 Table A14 .1 . Country profile summary for Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa and Tonga PNG Fiji Solomon Islands Vanuatu Samoa Tonga Geography Arable land: 0 .46% Arable land: 10 .95% Arable land: 0 .64% Arable land: 2 .46% Arable land: 21 .2% Arable land: 23 .61% Permanent crops: Permanent crops: Permanent crops: Permanent crops: Permanent crops: Permanent crops: 1 .44% 4 .65% 2% 7 .38% 24 .38% 43 .06% Other: 98 .1% Other: 84 .4% (2001) Other: 97 .36% (2001) Other: 90 .16% (2001) Other: 54 .42% (2001) Other: 33 .33% (2001) Population (2004 est .) 5,420,280 880,874 523,617 202,609 177,714 110,237 Median age 21 years 24 years 18 .4 years 22 .3 years 24 .2 years 20 .1 years 0–14 yrs 38 .3% 31 .7% 42 .4% 22 .3% 23 .3% 37 .1% 15–64 yrs 58% 64 .3% 54 .4% 22 .3% 65 .5% 58 .7% 65 yrs+ 3 .8% 4% 3 .2% 22 .2% 6 .3% 4 .2% Life expectancy (2004 est .) Males: 62 .41 years Males: 66 .74 years Males: 69 .9 years Males: 60 .64 years Males: 67 .64 years Males: 66 .74 years Females: 66 .81 years Females: 71 .79 years Females: 74 .98 years Females: 63 .63 years Females: 73 .33 years Females: 71 .79 years Under 5 mortality rate 53 .15 deaths/ 12 .99 deaths/ 22 .09 deaths/ 56 .63 deaths/ 28 .72 deaths/ 12 .99 deaths/ 1000 live births 1000 live births 1000 live births 1000 live births 1000 live births 1000 live births HIV prevalence 0 .6% (2003) 0 .1% NA NA NA NA Human development index (2002) rank (out of 177 countries) 133 81 124 129 75 63 Income differentials Lowest 10%: 1 .7% Highest 10%: 40 .5% (1996) NA NA NA NA NA Unemployment rate NA 7 .6% NA NA NA 13 .3% Literacy (% age 15+ who can read and write) 64 .6% 93 .7% NA 53% 99 .7% 98 .5% Language 715 indigenous English (official), Melanesian pidgin English, French, Samoan (Polynesian), Tongan, English languages — many Fijian, Hindustani English (1–2%); Pidgin, plus more English unrelated 120 indigenous than 100 local languages languages Religion Christian 66%, Christian 52%, Christian 96%, Christian 76 .7%, Christian 99 .7% Christian indigenous Hindu 38%, Muslim Indigenous Indigenous beliefs beliefs 34% 8%, Other 2% beliefs 4% 7 .6%, Other 15 .7% Government Constitutional mon- Republic Parliamentary Parliamentary Constitutional Hereditary archy with parlia- democracy tending republic monarchy under monarchy mentary democracy towards anarchy native chief GDP: purchasing power parity $11 .48 billion $5 .012 billion $800 million $563 million $1 billion (2002 est) $236 million (2002 est .) (2002 est .) (2002 est .) (2002 est .) 299 Country profiles: Pacific overview
Situational analysis of illicit drug issues and responses in the Asia–Pacific region 300 A14 .1 Narrative summary of drug vulnerabilities Geography Reports and key informants have suggested that the geographical proximity of the Pacific to illicit drug-producing countries, such as in East Asia, facilitates illicit drug trade . Additionally, the isolation of the coastal regions offers useful transit points for drugs (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 2004; Nejo, 2001; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003) . Moreover, the terrain of the Pacific makes it very difficult for effective government administration of all territories and creates challenges for effective law enforcement . Transport across the region is problematic, except in cases such as Fiji, which is the regional air and sea entrepot, and in independent territories where transport services are heavily subsidised (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 2004; Nejo, 2001; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003) . The region has developed as a world tourist destination, particularly Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Guam and French Polynesia . Subsequently, expansion of transportation links with Asia and North and South America have produced fears that the islands will be used more as transhipment routes for trafficking (Nejo, 2001) . Population growth and urbanisation More than 35 per cent of the people of the Pacific Islands live in towns and the rate of urban population growth throughout most of the region is high (World Bank, 2000) . Key drivers for this trend are: declining agricultural commodity prices, livelihood opportunities, insufficient rural land to confer social standing, as well as prospect of cash employment, educational opportunities and the intrinsic excitement of urban areas (World Bank, 2000) . Despite the many benefits of urbanisation, there is concern about the growth of town areas, including effect on customary traditions and relationships, providing and maintaining public infrastructure and services, proliferation of informal settlements, worsening environmental conditions and increasing social problems associated with unemployment and under-employment, which include drug use and abuse (World Bank, 2000) . Youth population The Pacific countries under review have a growing youth population . Experience from elsewhere suggests this group is susceptible to licit and illicit drug use and abuse and its concomitant social and economic consequences . Moreover, low literacy rates in some countries and the lack of education and employment opportunities further increase the vulnerability of the Pacific societies towards substance abuse . A quote taken from Save the Children (Australia) (2004) highlights this point, ‘they [young people] are still living in fear, with hopelessness, not knowing what their future will be like . The boys especially turn to drugs, that is their only solution’ (peer educator, Guadalcanal) (Save the Children Australia, 2004) . Historical and cultural interactions with drugs Pacific societies have a tradition of drug use, incorporated into culture . A range of psychoactive substances, including betel nut and kava have been used traditionally across the Pacific region (Posanau, 1997) . Rapid socioeconomic changes have led to changing patterns of consumption of these and other licit and illicit substances and the potential for abuse (Nejo, 2001) . Trends have emerged towards the use of drugs such as cannabis and crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’) . Cannabis is the primary illicit substance of abuse across the region . It is believed that cannabis was introduced into parts of Micronesia and Papua New Guinea by expatriates in the 1960s and 1970s (Nejo, 2001) . The illicit use of cannabis spread to indigenous population groups, significantly youth, during the 1970s and 1980s . Heroin was thought to be introduced into Micronesia in the 1960s and 1970s (Nejo, 2001) . In 1984–1985 there was serious heroin abuse in Palau with 50 people receiving professional treatment and several imprisoned for trafficking of heroin from the Philippines and Thailand (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 2004; Nejo, 2001; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003) . There are still reports of people using heroin in Palau, however it is not seen as a major concern today . A14 .2 Prevalence of drug use Population estimates of drug use A number of case studies have been conducted in a couple of Pacific countries, for example, in Papua New Guinea (Johnson, 1990, 1994, 1998), Vanuatu (McMurray, 2001) and Tonga (McMurray, 2003) The results from these studies are not reported as population estimates for drug use in the Pacific Island countries under review as they are often outdated, use qualitative methods or use small convenient samples . Other estimates: expert opinions While the severity of drug abuse is purported to vary between the six island countries listed for this review, use of the illicit drug of concern, cannabis, is the same . According to key informants, cannabis is the illicit drug of choice for people living in the countries under review, due mainly to its availability and low cost (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 2004) . Key informants suggested that drugs such as heroin, methamphetamines and cocaine are not commonly used due to their high cost compared to the average income (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 2004; Nejo, 2001; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003) . Injecting drug use in the Pacific is believed to be very small (personal communication, May 2005) . Heroin was being used in Palau in 1984–1985 . More recently, methamphetamines (and other illicit drugs) are being used in the more affluent countries of the United States and French territories (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 2004; Nejo, 2001; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003) . Population estimates are not available, so only modest suggestions can be made as to the trends in drug use in the six research countries . The symbols used in Table A14 .2 represent: use that is reported to be substantial (+) and increasing use (↑) . The data have been derived from a number of sources: key informants, group interview, and a number of regional overviews (Drug Enforcement Administration, Intelligence Division, 2004; Nejo, 2001; United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2003) and have been validated by external reviewers . Data collection systems in place Formal surveillance systems for drug use and abuse in the Pacific are not in place . 301 Country profiles: Pacific overview
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