Statistics from the Ministry of Health reveal startling numbers for suicides as well as the means used by people to take their own lives.
Some say that loss of lives could have been avoided if we had strict laws against accessing harmful chemicals.
However the Ministry of Agriculture only monitors the registration of hazardous chemicals and not over the counter sales or storage.
“Companies come with different types of pesticides and before they can sell it, we have to carry out the efficacy test at the pesticide registration unit here in Koronivia, the team usually goes out and carries out monitoring in supermarkets, outlets on quarterly basis. One in the western, central, northern and eastern. If we find breaches then warning letters are given to companies. Yes that’s what we are doing at the moment, monitoring.”
The Pesticide Registration Unit at the Koronivia Research Station is governed by the Fiji Pesticide Act of 1971 and the Fiji Royal Gazette Supplement, 1971.
Agriculture Officer Apenisa Sailo in an email confirmed to FBC News that there are no such laws in place that prohibits the sale of hazardous chemicals to minors.
He adds that the onus is on retailers to have internal policies to restrict the sale of harmful chemicals.
From 2000 to 2008, there were 831 suicides. Out of this 182 people used hazardous chemicals to inflict self harm.
