Sailosi Malimali, a Year 7 student at Lami Primary School, had one clear message for Fiji’s younger generation: ‘Never be ashamed to walk away from drugs. Real strength is in saying No!”
Malimali joined other school students around the country to launch the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADAIT) weeklong awareness programme yesterday (30.06.27). IDADAIT week focuses on engaging school students in activities embedded into the school curriculum to educate students on the dangers and effects of drug and substance abuse.
For Sailosi, who resides in Lami, though he may be young, he is well aware of how drugs have destroyed the lives of those in his community through the wrong choices they made to engage themselves in drug use.
The IDADAIT program for the Central division was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Hon. Viliame Gavoka, at the Suva Civic Centre, and the program in the West was launched by the Minister for Policing, Hon. Ioane Naivalurua.
DPM Gavoka firmly stated that the fight against drug abuse is more than a law enforcement matter and that Fiji must be safe.
“Let’s be clear. Drug abuse and trafficking aren’t just criminal matters. They are developmental, social, and economic threats. They break families, endanger lives, and erode the foundations of our well-being. The burden they place on our health systems, justice system, and economy is immense and overbearing!”
The increased support for the Fiji Police Force in the 2025-2026 National Budget, including a recruitment drive for an additional 1000 new officers, was highlighted by DPM Gavoka as not just support for law enforcement but an investment in national stability and public trust.
This year’s IDADAIT programme was organised by the Ministry of Policing, Substance Abuse Advisory Council and relevant stakeholders with the theme “One Nation, One Goal: Illicit Drug-Free Fiji”.
To access DPM Gavoka’s speech: https://bit.ly/3ThtTgl