Riya Mala 
Fiji Muslim League representative Mohammed Khan
With youth at the heart of Fiji’s future, growing drug abuse among young people is now being seen as a serious threat to the nation’s stability and progress.
The Fiji Council of Churches is sounding the alarm, calling for stronger support systems, community guidance, and changes to education and family structures to address the root causes.
Reverend Sepiuta Hala’api’api believes that religious institutions must play a more active role in engaging young people, creating meaningful path-ways that steer them away from drugs and destructive behaviors.
“Talking about drugs, I personally see that our young people have a lot of time on their hands. We, as churches, need to step up to help protect them and guide them set pathways where their time is used more wisely and usefully, rather than allowing a gap, a vacuum, or a void to form, which ends up with young people turning towards drugs.”
She also points to the need for a more relevant and responsive education system one that addresses the real challenges facing youth today.
Fiji Muslim League representative Mohammed Khan echoes the concern, saying that many of today’s social issues, including drug abuse, stem from weakened family structures and a lack of core values at home.
“The problems of domestic violence and drug and substance abuse are hurting families the most. People are saying that we need to strengthen the family.”
Faith leaders agree that addressing youth drug abuse requires more than just treatment it demands stronger families, relevant education, and meaningful community engagement.
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