rp21 situational analysis - Pacific Health Voices

The 2000 Census reported that over 80
per cent of Fijian women were exposed to
violence in their lifetime, with an alarming
66 per cent experiencing violence directly. 267
Importantly, the leading cause of morbidity in
2007 was injury and, in the past, injury rates
have been closely linked with alcohol-related
accidents. 268 All of these factors suggest the
need for further investigation of the issue.
The Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics reports
a steady, but not significant, decline in
offences against the Drugs Ordinance Act
in the period from 2001 to 2007 (433 and
329 respectively). 269 These are relatively few
compared to property offences and offences
against the person. It is worth noting that no
alcohol-related offences are included in this
data set. Key informants note that the drugs
of concern (alcohol, cannabis and inhalants)
are especially problematic among the youth
population and require targeted programs.
4.3 Illicit drug trends
In 2008 illicit drug-related issues were a
common subject of media reports. These included
police reports related to LSD traces
found in goods from the United States and
cocaine from South America. Police have reported
drug finds in nightclubs and restaurants,
which are cited as major distribution
centres. 270 Preliminary results from current
research investigating drug and alcohol risk
behaviours and HIV risk indicate that there
are high rates of cannabis use among youth
and sex workers. In addition, substance users
in the older age groups report using cocaine
and ecstasy, accessed via tourists and
yachts. 271 The National Substance Abuse Advisory
Council (NSAAC) has highlighted cannabis
as the main illicit drug of concern, but
also reports no specific data on substance
use among the adult population are collected.
UNAIDS’ AIDS data hub reports in
its Fiji country review that in 2005 only one
known case of HIV transmission was reported
to have been transmitted intravenously, with
no mention of associated drug injecting. 272
59
267 Pacific Regional HIV/AIDS Project (2007), Evaluation of the Pilot Stepping Stones Program: Fiji.
Noumea: Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
268 Fiji Islands Bureau of Statistics, Key Statistics — December 2008: section 2.14: Top Ten Causes
of Morbidity and Mortality. Available at: (accessed April 2009).
269 Ibid: section 15.7: Crime Cases Recorded: Miscellaneous (accessed April 2009).
270 Hard drug finds a matter of concern, Fiji Times Online, 4 August 2008. Available at:
(accessed April 2009).
271 Burnet Institute & Fiji School of Medicine above, fn.69.
272 Fiji country review in UNAIDS (2008), Evidence to Action: HIV and AIDS data hub for Asia–Pacific,
2008. Available at: (accessed June 2008); this
report references UNAIDS 2005 activities cited in: Fiji’s HIV situation, Fiji Daily Post, 11 July
2008, available at: .
Fiji