Substance abuse including marijuana cases are on the rise amongst students in schools during the COVID-19 period, and urgent action is required.
While speaking during the Leadership Fiji Virtual National Dialogue on Substance Abuse, National Substance Abuse Advisory Council’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Counsellor, Vilisimani Rakikau says sometimes they receive 7 to 8 cases per day in schools.
Rakikau says this is too much for the National Substance Abuse Advisory Council.
He says the cases are coming from primary and secondary schools and this includes marijuana and cigarette smoking.
The counsellor says sometimes they seek clinical supervision however he is also making a call for help from other government organisations and NGOs.
Rakikau says they have identified after COVID-19 that substance abuse is on the rise amongst students. He says the council receives the cases when teachers and heads of schools cannot handle the cases anymore and need external support.
He further says that they only have 2 counsellors at the council and there is lack of resource personnel.
More than 30 teachers are expected to complete their diploma level on counselling soon.
Awareness support is currently provided by Empower Pacific and MSP funded by the Ministry of Education through AUSAID.
Rakikau says they have also discussed at the Permanent Secretary level that research is needed on the level of substance abuse amongst students in the country but lack of funding is an issue.
He says they would like USP or FNU to conduct the research in schools around Fiji.
After they have the data, he says they can have a targeted approach.
The Leadership Fiji virtual dialogue looked at The Laucala Document after the 1st National Dialogue last year and Chairman, William Parkinson says the reviewed action plan will be confirmed within the next few weeks.
