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Papua New Guinea National Narcotics Bureau
PO Box 3880, BorokoPapua New Guinea
 RAPID SITUATION ASSESSMENT OF DRUG ABUSE INPAPUA NEW GUINEA, 1998
Report prepared byDavid McDonald, International Consultant to the ProjectandMichael Anis Winmarang, Project Director
 
July 1999
 
For further information and copies of the full report, contact:David McDonaldSocial Research & Evaluation Pty Ltd1004 Norton Road, Wamboin NSW 2620, AustraliaEmail david.mcdonald@socialresearch.com.au  http://www.socialresearch.com.au 
 
ii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This is the report of a Rapid Situation Assessment (RSA) of drug abuse and relatedmatters in the Independent State of Papua New Guinea (PNG). It was conductedduring the second half of 1998 by the PNG National Narcotics Bureau (NNB),assisted by an International Consultant. Financial support for the RSA was providedby the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP).
Background
The study was undertaken to provide comprehensive, up-to-date information aboutdrugs in PNG. In accordance with the mandates of the NNB and UNDCP, the primaryfocus was on the currently-
illegal drugs (especially cannabis and ‘home
-
 brew’
alcohol), although the broader public health context, which includes concerns aboutthe use of legal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and betel nut, was taken into account.The focus of the study was to gain information that could inform policy developmentand implementation relating to drugs in PNG, with particular emphasis on demandreduction rather than controlling the availability of drugs through the criminal law andits enforcement.We use the word
drug
to refer to psychoactive substances regardless of their legalstatus. Psychoactive substances are those that change the way we think and feel.
 Drugabuse
, 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. Onmost standard indicators of health and development, PNG does not rate highly; itranks 129
th
among the 174 nations listed in the 1998 Human Development Index. Thenation was colonised by Germany, Britain and Australia from the nineteenth centuryto Independence in 1975, and was occupied by Japanese and Allied forces during theSecond World War.
History of PNG drug use
Various types of substances that change how people think or feel were usedtraditionally (i.e. prior to European colonisation) including betel nut, tobacco, kavaand many other types of plants. It is possible that some groups used alcoholtraditionally, fermented from fruits and/or vegetables. With colonisation came
commercial (packaged) alcoholic beverages and, particularly during WW2, ‘home brew’ alc
ohol, both fermented and distilled alcoholic beverages. Colonial legislationthat was in force until 1962 prohibited Indigenous Papua New Guineans fromdrinking alcohol.Cannabis use was virtually limited to a small proportion of the expatriate populationuntil the 1980s when its use by Papua New Guineans became more widespread. Bythe 1990s, cannabis was found throughout PNG (either grown locally or importedfrom other provinces) and use of the drug was commonplace. Cannabis is notimported from overseas, but is illegally exported to Australia where it has a strong
 
iiifollowing owing to its high quality. Cannabis in PNG is very cheap compared withcommercial alcohol or (sometimes) betel nut.
Prevalence of cannabis use
No reliable research exists which enables us to estimate precisely the prevalence of cannabis use in PNG. Studies have been conducted by the National Narcotics Bureauin parts of Port Moresby but they were interviews of cannabis users, not a randomsample of the population, so cannot be used to estimate prevalence. The same pointapplies to a study conducted by Iamo of cannabis growers in a number of provinces.Media commentators and others have seriously misinterpreted the data from these twostudies, giving ridiculously inflated estimates of the prevalence of cannabis use inPNG and its Kina (financial) value. Studies of Port Moresby university students andoffice workers by Johnson, using self-reports, have shown relatively low availabilityof cannabis and relatively low prevalences of cannabis use in those populations.
At the present time, cannabis is available ‘almost everywhere’ as key informants put itand 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, andamong males rather than females). It is available and used in Port Moresby (theNational 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-holdercash crop, organised crime is also involved (some huge seizures have been made) inboth the domestic and international markets. The criminal gangs known as
raskals
areapparently involved in the trade in some locations.
Methodology
Worldwide, Rapid Situation Assessment approaches have been used to contribute todevelopment planning in many settings, addressing a variety of problems. Thisapproach involves a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods,and accessing pre-existing information, to produce a set of valid conclusions about aproblem. In this RSA, we reviewed the existing research literature, collated statisticalinformation from various agencies and reviewed the existing range of servicesavailable in the drugs field. Two sub-studies were conducted in five provinces(Eastern Highlands, East Sepik, Madang, Simbu and West New Britain): a study of 426 current and former drug users and a study of the knowledge and opinions of 357key informants.
Key findings and conclusions of the study
1.
 
Drug use and trafficking are major problems confronting PNG.2.
 
The use of mood-altering substances has a long history in PNG.3.
 
The absence of a comprehensive national drug strategy is problematic.4.
 
More and better information about the extent and nature of drug-related problemsare needed to inform future policy and program development.5.
 
Cannabis (marijuana) is the illegal drug which causes most harm in PNG; alcoholand tobacco have serious impacts on public health and community well-being.6.
 
Cannabis and home brew are far too widely available.
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