ADDICTS TOP RELAPSE LIST

EIGHTY per cent of patients re-admitted at Saint Giles Hospital have
marijuana-related problems, hospital medical superintendent Doctor Shish
Narayan says.

He said of this 80 per cent, 70 per cent admitted taking marijuana again
after undergoing a six-week rehabilitation programme at the hospital.

"Eighty per cent of Fijian males needing treatment suffer from
marijuana-related problems. But such patients include male Indians and some
females."

Dr Narayan said most patients taken there by their parents admitted to
smoking marijuana since Class Seven.

He said there was a dangerous rise in the trend of young children smoking
marijuana.

Dr Narayan said there were factors leading to treated marijuana patients
relapsing after being discharged.

"The patient will either have been taking his medication and smoking
marijuana or they do not want to take their medication and prefer to smoke
the drug," he said.

He said there was a need for the parents, communities, churches and the
Government to work together to fully rehabilitate these patients. Better
rehabilitation programmes could solve the problem.

He said most of these patients smoked marijuana when depressed, when under
pressure from peers or when they had nothing to do and found it a hobby.

Dr Narayan said parents should try and do away with the traditional taboo
of not talking to their children about the effects and damage marijuana has
on their children's lives.

Citing an example, there had been cases when parents brought in their
children because they had become abusive towards their parents and teachers.