Patterns and trends of amphetamine-type stimulants and other drugs ...

Regional Trends/ Paci c Island States and Territories
Table 14. Cont. Drug use concerns in selected Pacic Island States and Territories
Drug type
ATS (methamphetamine,
ecstasy)
Cannabis
Cocaine
Heroin
Traditional psychoactive
substances
(kava,
noni, yaquona,
saku etc.)
Other concerns
Papua New
Guinea
Seizures
and use
reported
Use said
to very
widespread
but few
systematic
data collection
efforts
None identi-
e d
Transit
country for
traf cking
Use reported
but
concern low
compared
to other
drugs
Injecting
drug use
reported.
Frequent
arrests for
drug possession
Samoa
Seizures
and use
reported
Source of
cannabis
Seizures
and use
reported
None
identi ed
but very
limited use
of opium
Use reported
Limited
injecting
drug use.
Frequent
arrests for
drug possession
Solomon
Islands
Use reported
Key drug
of concern.
High rates
of use
Use reported
None identi-
e d
None identi-
e d
None identi-
e d
Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu
Seizures
reported
Seizures
and use
reported
Last seizure
of cocaine
(100 kg)
reported in
2001
None identi-
e d
Ceremonial
use
reported
None identi-
e d
None identi-
e d
Occasional
seizures
and use
reported
None identi-
ed.
None identi-
e d
Use reported
among
young
people
None identi-
e d
Seizures
of amphetamines
and
ecstasy
reported
Cultivation
and use,
substance
often sold in
kava bars.
Increased
use among
young
people
reported
Last seizure
(120 kg)
reported in
2004
Last seizure
(160 kg)
reported in
2001
Kava trade
important
source of
income.
Local use
None identi-
e d
Source: 5th meeting of Paci c Drug Use and Alcohol Research Network, July 2010, Port Vila, Vanuatu, Situational
analysis of drug and alcohol issues and responses in the Paci c 2008-2009, ANCD, 2010
Reports of signicant illicit drug manufacturing facilities in the Paci c region date back to 2004. In
that year, the largest laboratory seizure was made in Fiji, where a large-scale illicit manufacturing
plant for methamphetamine was discovered. The weekly manufacturing capacity of methamphetamine
was estimated between 500 and 1,000 kg (Schloenhardt, 2007). The facility was
managed by an Asian drug trafcking organization. Over the past years, several smaller-scale”
methamphetamine laboratories have been seized in Guam and in a crystallization operation in
French Polynesia in 2009.
There are indications that precursor traf cking occurs with increasing frequency in the Paci c.
As Australia and New Zealand have strengthened controls over precursor chemicals, these have
become lucrative items that can be sold at high prices. Seizures of precursors, attempted diversions
and thefts have been reported by authorities in Fiji, French Polynesia, Nauru, Papua New
Guinea, Samoa and Tonga. In 2008, an attempt to divert signi cant amounts of pseudoephedrine
bound for Nauru were halted (INCB, 2009). Tonga has reported signi cant theft of pharmaceutical
products containing pseudoephedrine, including 178,000 pills of the substance that subsequently
was trafcked to New Zealand (PDARN, 2008). Attempts have been made to traf c large
amounts of ephedrine through Fiji disguised as allergy medication (ANCD, 2010). As a result,
some States have introduced control measures over the substance. In Fiji, sales of over-thecounter
preparations require registration and are subject to a purchase limit of one packet per
person. In addition, an informal network of pharmacists identi es suspicious purchasing behav-
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