'DRUGS NOT CONDONED'

DRUG cultivation will not be condoned no matter what the
circumstances, Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes says.

Mr Hughes yesterday said the excuse that marijuana cultivation or
sales were the only source of income for some people would not be
acceptable because there were other factors that needed to be considered.

He was reacting to the Member for Serua and Navosa Open, Pio Wong's,
comments that people from his constituency would continue planting
marijuana unless the Government heeded their plight and uplifted their
standard of living.

He said the Government had completely forgotten the people of Navosa
in its development plans.

But Mr Hughes said the standard of living of people was an economic
issue best left for the relevant authorities to deal with.

"They are obviously overlooking the health aspect of cultivating and
using marijuana," he said.

"Such things should not be legitimised no matter what the
circumstances.

"A lot of people are suffering from drug use and this is an aspect
which is often overlooked."