KEY POINTS:
Suicide rates for Samoa in the last six months have surpassed the annual rate in the last five years according to recent statistics.
According to the figures obtained from Tupua Tamasese Meaole II Hospital (TTMHII) 10 victims of suicide were pronounced 'dead on arrival' or 'died in ward' in the last seven months.
The Savaii Police have confirmed that a 15 year old boy from the village of Fa'ala Savaii committed suicide the Saturday before last, bringing the number to 11.
The official documentation from the National Hospital titled: 'suicide attempts' recorded more than 20 suicide attempts since the beginning of this year.
Faataua le Ola (FLO), the Lifeline Agency for Samoa was contacted for comment and Director Ms. Ofeira Manutai Salevao said the figures presented were disheartening.
"This is the worse year for Samoa, ever since FLO was established five years ago the numbers were decreasing, this is not normal," Manutai said.
According to published FLO suicide statistics there were 14 suicides in 2006, 10 in 2005, 18 in 2004, 11 in 2003 and 12 in 2002.
"The last seven months figures indicate that the rate has reached more than other annual figures, yet the year is not over yet," Manutai said.
The TTMHII statistics show that out of the 11 suicide victims, 1 was female.
The youngest victim recorded was 13 and the eldest 50.
FLO says they continue to create awareness on this issue in Samoa.
Health
The National Health Services this week issued a health advisory to locals to be weary of the viral disease 'mumps.'
The advisory comes after a noted increase from 5 to 20 cases since April this year.
NHS advised children and adults displaying the symptoms of mumps not to attend school or go to work.
Environment
The Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment (MNRE) have made it clear that ban on plastics they imposed early last year was limited to plastic bags and not on bottles.
This is according to Faafetai Sagapolutele of MNRE waste division.
"The ban only focused on plastic bags because not only do they take long to decompose but there is no recycling program currently underway for plastic bags simply because of the fact that they can not be recycled."
The statement comes after members of the public raised concerns about the introduction of a new Coca Cola plastic bottle in recent weeks.
Sagapolutele told Newsline that if Samoa were to ban plastic bottles, it would not work, as it would stop the importation of many important items which include cooking oil, medication and food items packaged in plastic material.
Sagapolutele said the recycle programme currently underway is receiving low responses from members of the public.
The effects of plastics on the environment include contamination of the soil and choking endangered marine species such as turtles and fish.
Tamara Logan of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP) says they are working in collaboration with MNRE and the United Nations to counter any adverse impact caused by plastics through a campaign "Play it Clean and Green".
The campaign according to Logan will discourage people from littering, encourage the use of their own bags and encourage the recycle of aluminium bins and plastics.
Sports
Two lawn bowling greens intended for use during the South Pacific Games have been deemed unfit for the competition according to Glen Miller, a professional greens keeper from New Zealand.
Miller who has been in Samoa for eight weeks to develop the greens for SPG concluded that only two of the four bowling greens would be ready for the SPG.
Miller said two greens were "not ready" for SPG and "will not be ready."
"You can't magically produce bowling greens over night, we have had four years to prepare and the greens were only sown six weeks ago," he said.
The level of the current greens according to Miller stands at 35 millimetres and is infected with the wrong weeds.
The international standard length for greens is 5 millimetres according to Miller.
"I cannot do that within twelve weeks, which is why the Green's are not up to standard."
Miller says the SPG Association should have recruited the assistance of a greens keeper at least two years in advance.
Village beat
The coconut wireless has informed me that a recent Sunday was not so peaceful in the village of Lalomalava, Savaii. According to one villager, the morning sermon went unscathed until the Church treasurer stood up at the end of the service to announce monthly monetary contributions.
Instead of saying the Chiefly titles of the contributors, the treasurer reportedly, intentionally called some by their 'taulealea' names (untitled male name), if you know Samoans, there is no bigger cultural offence.
The incident lead to a fist fight between two Chiefs after the ceremony.
According to one villager, the 'holiness' of the Lalomalava Sunday was broken by shouts and sounds of punches on the main street amidst the congregation clad in white and on their way home from the Church.
The incident goes to prove yet again, the irony of Samoan characters.
Manuia le Aso.
