Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Report prepared by
David McDonald, International Consultant to the Project
and
Michael Anis Winmarang, Project Director
July 1999
This is the report of a Rapid Situation Assessment (RSA) of drug abuse and related
matters in the Independent State of Papua New Guinea (PNG). It was conducted
during the second half of 1998 by the PNG National Narcotics Bureau (NNB),
assisted by an International Consultant. Financial support for the RSA was provided
by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP).
Background
The focus of the study was to gain information that could inform policy development
and implementation relating to drugs in PNG, with particular emphasis on demand
reduction rather than controlling the availability of drugs through the criminal law and
its enforcement.
We use the word drug to refer to psychoactive substances regardless of their legal
status. Psychoactive substances are those that change the way we think and feel. Drug
abuse, as we use the term here, means a pattern of psychoactive substance use that is
causing damage to health; this is World Health Organization’s definition. ‘Health’ in
this context refers to physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being.
Papua New Guinea is a Melanesian nation with a 1995 population of 4.2 million. On
most standard indicators of health and development, PNG does not rate highly; it
ranks 129th among the 174 nations listed in the 1998 Human Development Index. The
nation was colonised by Germany, Britain and Australia from the nineteenth century
to Independence in 1975, and was occupied by Japanese and Allied forces during the
Second World War.
Various types of substances that change how people think or feel were used
traditionally (i.e. prior to European colonisation) including betel nut, tobacco, kava
and many other types of plants. It is possible that some groups used alcohol
traditionally, fermented from fruits and/or vegetables. With colonisation came
commercial (packaged) alcoholic beverages and, particularly during WW2, ‘home
brew’ alcohol, both fermented and distilled alcoholic beverages. Colonial legislation
that was in force until 1962 prohibited Indigenous Papua New Guineans from
drinking alcohol.
Cannabis use was virtually limited to a small proportion of the expatriate population
until the 1980s when its use by Papua New Guineans became more widespread. By
the 1990s, cannabis was found throughout PNG (either grown locally or imported
from other provinces) and use of the drug was commonplace. Cannabis is not
imported from overseas, but is illegally exported to Australia where it has a strong
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following owing to its high quality. Cannabis in PNG is very cheap compared with
commercial alcohol or (sometimes) betel nut.
At the present time, cannabis is available ‘almost everywhere’ as key informants put it
and is used by ‘almost everyone’. This should be interpreted as meaning that the drug
is available to virtually anyone who wants it and is used by people from all walks of
life (though prevalence is probably higher among younger people than older, and
among males rather than females). It is available and used in Port Moresby (the
National Capital), and in the towns, villages, educational institutions, plantations, etc.,
throughout the nation. While much of the drug is grown and sold as a small-holder
cash crop, organised crime is also involved (some huge seizures have been made) in
both the domestic and international markets. The criminal gangs known as raskals are
apparently involved in the trade in some locations.
Methodology
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7. The prevalence of cannabis use is not well understood; media reporting of this
needs to be more realistic.
8. Cannabis markets are expanding.
9. Cannabis users are not a distinct group in society; different approaches are needed
to assist heavy users compared with infrequent users.
10. Cannabis users are introduced to the drug by their friends, not by ‘pushers’.
11. Cannabis is used for many different reasons.
12. Cannabis is associated with violence and other criminal behaviour.
13. Physical and/or mental illness is sometimes associated with heavy use of cannabis.
14. Drug users are seen primarily as people needing help, not punishment.
15. A study of the potency of PNG cannabis would be useful.
16. The resources available for drug demand reduction and supply control are
inadequate.
17. Prevention programs should be broad in nature, focussing on ‘quality of life’
rather than narrowly on drugs themselves.
18. Treatment and counselling services are inadequate.
19. PNG’s drug legislation is outdated.
20. Drug supply reduction initiatives are inadequate.
21. A new drug masterplan needs to include awareness of emerging drug problems.
The Appendixes to this report contain documents that may be of assistance to others
conducting rapid situation assessments of drug abuse in other nations, or undertaking
further studies of drugs in PNG. They include the training materials and data
collection instruments used in this study.
We hope that this Rapid Situation Assessment report will contribute to the
development of a modern, realistic national drug strategy or masterplan aimed at the
prevention and treatment of drug abuse and the control of drug availability.
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