Kelera Ditaiki 
[Photo: Kelera Ditaiki]
Church leaders have identified childhood trauma, domestic violence and poverty as some of the underlying factors driving young people towards drugs.
Archbishop Peter Loy Chong says addressing Fiji’s drug crisis requires more than awareness, with greater support needed for young people facing family and economic challenges.
“It’s not good enough just to be talking about the needles, the HIV. For effective response, you want to know what is the root cause, the underlying. You can, although if you don’t pull out the root cause, then you can waste a lot of money, resource and on just, you know, band-aid solutions.”
He says some are even turning to selling marijuana to make a living.
Meanwhile, young people are calling on churches to provide safe spaces where they can openly discuss drugs, HIV and personal struggles without fear of judgement.
Methodist Church representative Alice Onganibete says traditional expectations can prevent young people from speaking openly with church leaders.
Anglican Church representative Jordan Tarere says young people should be supported rather than simply blamed for the drug crisis.
Churches are now expected to develop 12-month action plans, including counselling, HIV testing and youth-focused programmes, with progress to be monitored every three months.
