FBC News - Digital Team
Source: Supplied
The Health Ministry has condemned the sale of snacks packaged in syringes near schools, after a child was reported to have purchased one of the products outside a primary school in Suva.
It is alleged that the snack was sold from a roadside kiosk, commonly known as a bean cart, located near the school fence.
Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services, Penioni Ravunawa, described the practice as extremely concerning and wholly unacceptable.
Assistant Health Minister Penioni Ravunawa [file photo]
“Packaging snacks in syringes not only sends the wrong message to impressionable young minds but also normalises harmful associations with injecting devices.”
He added that the timing of such practices is particularly alarming given Fiji’s rise in HIV/AIDS cases.
“At a time when the nation is working hard to protect our children from substance abuse and the dangers of needle sharing, we cannot afford to trivialise or glamorise syringe use.”
The Ministry is calling on relevant authorities to remove the products from school canteens, retail outlets, and roadside vendors, while urging parents, school heads, and community members to be vigilant.
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