Regional Security
A Grass Not Greener
PNG's Lack Of A Drug Policy Is Hurting Youth
Papua New Guinea’s lack of a national drug policy continues to inhibit government attempts to address the needs of drug users and monitor the increasing illegal consumption of cannabis.
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| Marijuana is causing health, law and order and broader security problems in Papua New Guinea. [photo: Alex Rheeney] |
While the PNG government is yet to make headway in policy formulation, drug abuse and trafficking continues to increase, mainly relating to cannabis or marijuana, which is widely cultivated, sold and consumed.
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Under the PNG Dangerous Drugs Act, a person can be imprisoned for a period between three months and two years if he or she is caught cultivating, making, exporting or is in possession of a dangerous drug. But drug-peddlers consider the penalties “light” and continue their dangerous trade despite its negative impacts on the community.
In July last year, security guards manning a shipping company’s premises in Lae, Morobe province discovered 82 kilograms of dried marijuana packed in 24 bags and concealed inside sweet potato bags destined for Port Moresby. Police say the drugs had a street value of K1 million (US$313,500) and were sent down to Lae from the Highlands town of Goroka.
A nugget-size roll of marijuana wrapped up in cigarette foil, popularly known as “one-pack” on the streets of Port Moresby, sells for K1 (US$0.3135).
Two Port Moresby drug-peddlers, who spoke to Pacific Magazine on condition of anonymity, say they make between K50-K60 (US$15-US$18) a day and often top the K300 (US$94) mark when the demand is high.
When asked on who were their consistent customers, one peddler from PNG’s Highlands region said in tokpisin: “It is both unemployed and employed people who come and buy marijuana from me. Children of top government bureaucrats and parliamentarians also come and see me when they are short.”
The duo says most drug-peddlers embrace the trade due to PNG’s rising cost of living and growing poverty. Hospitals in PNG towns and cities are also seeing a slight increase in patients with marijuana psychosis—particularly of young males between 16 and 21 years of age.
According to a drug and alcohol review paper titled “Illicit Drug Use And Responses In Six Pacific Island Countries,” released in July by international academic publishers Taylor & Francis, the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of PNG marijuana varieties known as “spak brus” or “New Guinea gold” is high, representing some of the most potent cannabis in the world.
Growing demand for “high quality” PNG marijuana since the 1980s has led to an increase in the drug-for-gun trade, which PNG law enforcement agencies
including the National Intelligence Organization say continues unabated along the PNG border with Australia and Indonesia.
Former PNG Defense Force commander Major General (retired) Jerry Singirok highlighted this in a recent radio talkback program.
“I mean there is a lot of illegal activities in Western Province, I mean people especially up in the Highlands go down to trade drugs and they pick up ammunition and guns to stockpile for their use. We’ve already identified a link in Mandakore, Enga (province) down to the head of Yuat River,” he said.
The Taylor & Francis paper, which was put together by experts from Australian-based Centre for Harm Reduction, Burnet Institute and Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, also raised concern about the lack of regional/national drug policies in Pacific states.
“The review has highlighted the need for formulation of regional/national drug policy and implementation of services and programs to address the needs of drug users. The review also noted the limited research on illicit drugs in the Pacific. Strategic alcohol and drug research on more formal research and data collection systems are required to enable an understanding of the illicit drug situation in the Pacific,” said the paper.
Back in 1998 the authors of the UN-funded assessment wrote, “We hope that this rapid situation assessment report will contribute to the development of a modern, realistic national drug strategy or master plan aimed at the prevention and treatment of drug abuse and control of drug availability.”
Dr. David McDonald from the Australian National University’s national center for epidemiology and population health, assisted in that report. He says a national drug policy encompassing all forms of drugs—both legal and illegal—would attract funding from donor agencies such as the United Nations and enable pooling of scarce resources.
Dr. McDonald says a policy that focuses on reducing harm would be the most appropriate strategy, though he expresses concern that there is too much emphasis by governments on illegal drugs.
“It’s a matter of getting the balance right (between legal and illegal drugs) but that could be difficult politically.”
Marijuana consumption has also taken a deadly twist in PNG as health authorities say drug abuse and alcohol are the catalysts for the spread of HIV/AIDS, which is at the general epidemic stage and continues to pose problems for the country’s
deteriorating health infrastructure.
