rp21 situational analysis - Pacific Health Voices

Situational analysis of drug and alcohol issues and responses in the Pacific
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Tonga was included in the UNICEF-funded
2000–01 Health Behaviour in School-Age
Children survey, with boys reporting drinking
alcohol more often than girls. A 2004
WHO report indicated that 16 or 17 years of
age was the norm for alcohol consumption
with high rates of binge drinking on a regular
basis. 845 Spirits included hot stuff, e.g.
Bounty rum, and hopi, which is easily brewed
and used as a reward and taken as a rite of
passage — young men are given it for completing
tasks. 846 The report also notes that in
2001 there were 114 hospital admissions with
a known link to alcohol, compared with only
18 with non-communicable diseases and 96
with other diseases. 847
The 2001 State of Health Behaviour survey
by UNICEF also showed links with bullying.
Alcohol use was positively associated with
age and maleness. Males in Tonga had a
high rate of use of methylated spirits, according
to self-reports. 848 Reports of injury
requiring treatment were associated with
past substance use and the authors suggest
this may be an indication of risk- taking behaviours
among Tongan youth. The same
survey looked at sexual risk behaviours
among youth not in school and noted 35
per cent reported sexual activity. Of more
concern is the high rate of girls in this group:
61 per cent reported not protecting against
HIV and STIs, compared to 32.3 per cent
of males. However, young men were more
likely to be sexually active and report having
sex when drunk or high. 849 This study
raised issues of urbanisation and access to
products and services as possibly impacting
on the use of condoms. In addition, it
considered if shame associated with sex before
marriage was preventing youth accessing
services. Of most concern for this study
is the identified link between binge drinking
and increased sexual activity and increased
numbers of partners. 850
Further afield, alcohol consumption has
reportedly become a problem among some
of the Tongan workers under the New Zealand
Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE)
scheme. 851 A worker in the South Island of
New Zealand was charged with rape due to
excessive alcohol consumption. The official in
charge of the labour schemes advocated care
845 Country profile for Tonga in WHO (2004), Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004: Western Pacific
Region. Geneva: WHO. Note that ‘binge’ is not defined in the report.
846 Hopi is brewed from water, yeast and sugar or mashed fruit: Wikipedia, available at:
(accessed January 2010).
847 Above, fn.845.
848 B.J. Smith, P. Phongsavan et al. (2007), Comparison of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drug
usage among school students in three Pacific Island societies. Drug and Alcohol Dependence,
88(1): 9–18.
849 H. Corner, C. Rissel et al. (2005), Sexual health behaviours among Pacific Islands youth in
Vanuatu, Tonga and the Federated States of Micronesia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia,
16(2): 144–150.
850 Ibid.
851 Future of RSE for Tonga looks bleak, Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association, 10 December
2007; see also J. Gibson, D. McKenzie & H. Rohorua (2008), How pro-poor is the selection
of seasonal migrant workers from Tonga under New Zealand’s Recognised Seasonal Employer
program? Working Papers in Economics, no.8/08. Hamilton, New Zealand: University of Waikato.