Head of Family Health from the Ministry of Health, Doctor Rachel Devi says bluetoothing and chemsex are super dangerous and this year alone, they are noticing an increase in injectable drug use with 25 percent of these cases coming out of that space, especially from one clinic.
Bluetoothing is a practice where youths withdraw blood after a drug hit and inject it into a second person.
While speaking during the Responding To Illicit Drugs National Talanoa Session at the FNU Campus in Nasinu, Dr Devi says when we talk about injectable drugs in Fiji and their relation to Health, consider that HIV has been one of the important rising factors and issues that has contributed to it alone.
She says when we look at the statistics, Fiji alone had 415 new cases of HIV last year and necessarily we cannot guarantee what percentage was due to injectable drug use but we can look at a good number that is coming out of it.
Dr Devi says in terms of rehabilitation, the contribution made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards the strategic plan has enabled the Ministry of Health to have some consultation on the effect HIV and illicit drugs will bring into Fiji in the future.
