Port Moresby residents are raising concerns about the growing presence of methamphetamine, commonly known as “meth,” in their communities.
Parents in several suburbs told InsidePNG they fear the drug is now reaching young people and causing worrying changes in behavior.
One mother from Gerehu said she has noticed teenagers staying up for long hours at night and becoming restless during the day.
“We grew up with marijuana around us, but this one looks different. The children don’t sleep, they don’t eat, and they change so quickly,” she said.
Community leaders in Hohola and Boroko shared similar fears, saying conversations about meth are now more common than before.
“In the last year or two, parents keep telling us about something new and more dangerous. It’s spreading fast,” a youth leader explains.
There are serious concerns about the health effects on users and the capacity of PNG’s healthcare system to provide rehabilitation. InsidePNG spoke with Dr. Ludwig Nanawar, acting CEO of Laloki Psychiatric Hospital, who said the country’s health system is not ready to cope with a surge in hard-drug use.
“The hospital lacks the capacity, from the necessary drug rehabilitation centers that offer counselling and reintegration programs trained professionals for rehabilitation, to the necessary medicines specific to treating meth and other hard drug abuse. We are already stretched, and we cannot handle a major influx of patients,” Dr. Nanawar said.
Health workers warn that meth is far more addictive than marijuana and can cause serious long-term damage.
“It changes how the brain works, it leads to aggression, sleeplessness, and even mental illness,” one Port Moresby-based medical officer said.
With no formal rehabilitation centers in Papua New Guinea dedicated to meth addiction, families say they feel helpless.
“We can talk to our children, but if they’re hooked on it, where do we take them for help? We are very worried,” another parent told InsidePNG.
Parents and leaders are now calling on authorities to increase awareness and strengthen policing against the flow of meth into communities. They fear that without action, a generation of young Papua New Guineans could be at risk.
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