SUVA, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Children in Fiji are increasingly being drawn into a worsening drug crisis, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that the trend is accelerating and could have long-term national consequences for the country.

UNICEF said drugs are becoming a widespread threat across communities, driven by growing availability, economic hardship, social pressures and a rise in mental health challenges among young people, reported Fiji Broadcasting Corporation news website on Tuesday.

UNICEF Representative for Pacific Island Countries, Hamish Young, said the situation is creating a dangerous cycle in which vulnerable children turn to drugs and become trapped in addiction, trauma and psychological harm.

He said the effects are already far-reaching, linking drug exposure to increased violence, exploitation, school dropouts and the recruitment of minors into criminal networks.

Young warned that some children are no longer just experimenting but are being used within drug operations, exposing them to significant risk and long-term consequences.

The UNICEF is calling for urgent, system-wide action focused on prevention, child protection, mental health support and community awareness, warning that failure to respond decisively could risk losing an entire generation to the growing drug crisis.

Pacific nations face increasing pressure from transnational drug trafficking routes, with Fiji's geographic position and busy maritime and air links making it vulnerable as both a transit point and an emerging domestic market. ■