Fiji Prisons chief bans kava consumption

August 21, 2009 09:27:32 AM

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Fiji prison officers have been instructed not to consume kava at their offices, prison complex and staff residential quarters.

The kava ban by the Commissioner of Prisons Brigadier Iowane Naivalurua came into effect on August 1.

Naivalurua wants his officers to be in the right state of mind when carrying out their duties.

A senior prison officer told FijiLive that the kava ban is for a month. He said the officers will undergo a fitness test at the end of the month.

Police Commissioner Commodore Esala Teleni has imposed a similar kava ban in his department as part of its Christian crusade, which he says has led to a significant drop in the crime rate this year.

Teleni recently fired six officers at the Valelevu Police Station that were caught drinking kava stored in coke bottles.

Although kava is Fiji’s national drink there has been an ongoing debate about whether its calming effect affects productivity when consumed on the job, as has been common in the past in mainly Fiji’s civil service and parts of the private sector.

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