GLUE CONTROL
14-Jul-2008 09:16 AM

A STICKY and dangerous habit affecting an increasing number of youths and students is now under serious attention from government authorities.

In a bid to tackle glue sniffing, the Ministry of Education has set up two sub-committees to look at ways of controlling this dangerous form of substance abuse that is becoming a pastime for wayward minors.

One area that the ministry has identified as a key target is the retail industry where various brands of glue that contain intoxicants are being sold off the counter.

Shopowners in the country will now take extra precautions in the selling of glue after the Interim Government has set up two sub-committees to look at ways of controlling the abuse of the already listed volatile substances minors in schools.

In a statement, interim Minister for Education Filipe Bole said his ministry was “seriously concerned” on how glue sniffing was escalating at an alarming rate and “efforts to protect children needs to be vigilantly pursued.”

Bole revealed that the two committees are the National Substance Abuse Advisory Secretariat and the Police Drug Unit and they would be formulating regulations and developing code of conduct for retailers to control the sale, use and abuse of the substance as glue sniffing.

The minister said that although the substance was relatively new in Fiji, it was “reaching crisis proportions”.

Bole reiterated that avenues were being explored to caution suppliers of glue and other materials containing dangerous inhalants, of the need to take precautions when selling these products to consumers.

Fiji Daily Post has found out that there are no restrictions to the retail sale of glue.

The banning or placing of restrictions on the sale of such items comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce, an example of which is the banning of certain dangerous products like firecrackers.

Some hardware outlets the Fiji Daily Post spoke to about the issue had welcomed any initiatives to regulate or place restrictions on the retail sale of glue.

Jay Singh, G.B Hari Company sales manager said after they heard the news of increased glue sniffing amongst students his company had taken the necessary precaution not to sell the item to minors.

He however admitted that in the past they had come across young boys buying glue from their outlet, but they could not do much to stop them.

“We are very happy with the decision made by Bole because sometimes we cannot stop this children coming to us after warning them that we will contact the police if they refuse to give details on the use of the item they buy,” Singh said.

Singh added that the problem was not with the students or the selling of glue, but with parents who should be responsible for their children.

He said they were trying their best to avoid the selling of glue to children.

Some parents the Fiji Daily Post spoke to said more needed to be done than just regulations and sales restrictions.

Varanisese Tamani of Sigatoka said more information and education was needed to enable children to be aware of the dangers of sniffing glue.

She also called on parents to be more vigilant with their children and be aware of the availability of the item in various shops.

Bole had stressed that the most effective weapon in the war on such drugs was education.

He added that it was crucial that parents, caregivers, guardians, the school and the
community to work together to assist in the monitoring.