rp21 situational analysis - Pacific Health Voices

Situational analysis of drug and alcohol issues and responses in the Pacific
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is increasingly marginalised within the region,
and the push to reinstate democratic government
takes priority. At the time of writing Fiji
had been suspended from participation in the
Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Islands Chiefs
of Police, and the Commonwealth.
Health and development
Fiji, while maintaining a large subsistence
sector, is one of the most developed of the
Pacific Island economies. In addition to forest,
mineral and fish resources, sugar exports,
remittances from Fijians working abroad and
a growing tourist industry 261 are the major
sources of foreign exchange. 262 However, Fiji’s
tourism industry has been damaged by the
December 2006 coup and ongoing instability
and the nature and timing of any recovery
are uncertain. Tourist arrivals for 2007 are
estimated to be down almost 6 per cent,
resulting in substantial job losses. In July
2007 the Reserve Bank of Fiji announced the
economy was expected to contract by 3.1 per
cent in 2007. Fiji’s current account deficit
reached 23 per cent of GDP in 2006, 263 and
is reflected in the Health and Development
Indicators. 264
4.2 Drug and alcohol
overview
Fiji has participated in all the Pacific Drug
and Alcohol Research Network meetings to
date. The 2006 and 2008 meetings were
held in Fiji with the Fiji School of Medicine
(FSMed) as co-host. In addition, the
FSMed is cooperating with the Burnet Institute
to undertake research into the interactions
of HIV, STIs, drugs and alcohol use in
Fiji. The research is applying an adapted and
refined rapid assessment methodology used
for a similar study in Papua New Guinea in
2006–07. 265 The National Substance Abuse
Advisory Council functions as the principal
NGO dealing with drug and alcohol issues in
Fiji; it has a strong focus on education and
awareness raising. The Fiji Council of Social
Services and the Fijian Police also undertake
significant activities aimed at ameliorating
the negative effects of drug and alcohol
consumption.
Over the last decade the key drugs of concern
in Fiji have been repeatedly identified as cannabis,
alcohol, yaquona (kava) and tobacco, 266
a view supported by the key informant for
this research. The FSMed and Burnet Institute
rapid assessment has identified some links
between substance use and violence in Fiji,
noting that the issue is a relevant concern.
261 Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics — 400 000–500 000 tourists
annually (last accessed November 2009).
262 Ibid.
263 Ibid.
264 Earth Trends, above, fn.255.
265 See section 10 of this report on Papua New Guinea.
266 Dr Noere (2007), Substance abuse in primary health care. Fiji General Practitioner, 15(2): 8–10.