Talk to children about drugs early, parents urged

Parents need to learn how to talk openly with their children about drugs before it is too late.

That is the message from UNICEF Pacific's Chief of Child Protection Michael Copland, who said parenting support was a central part of Fiji's new four-year drug prevention project launched this week.

"Parents need to understand the risks, but also if they're starting to get concerned, how to talk to their children about drugs and about the way that they're parenting," Mr Copland said.

He acknowledged it was not easy, even for parents who were trying their best.

"That's no easy thing to do. To understand from your own kids, especially teenagers, it can be a real challenge these times," he said.

As part of the project, parenting materials will be developed and distributed through faith-based organisations and community groups, giving families practical, everyday tools to recognise warning signs and guide their children away from drugs.

Mr Copland said children who ended up in trouble with drugs rarely had just one problem, there were usually several issues happening at once.

"They might have dropped out of school, there may be problems at home, there might be economic problems, mental health problems," he said.

He said peer support, where young people help their friends, would also be a key part of the programme, alongside training for teachers, nurses, and social workers.

"When children are getting into trouble, making sure that staff, whether that's police, nurses, teachers, social workers, have got skills and can help them really early — that's important," Mr Copland said.

The project is funded by Japan and supported by UNICEF and the governments of Fiji and Samoa.

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