Vanuatu football legend and outspoken community advocate Moise Poida has shared a heartfelt opinion on the current debate around regulating Facebook and banning pornography sites. Writing in Bislama, Poida urged the government to look beyond social-media restrictions and focus on what he sees as a far more urgent problem: alcohol abuse and its impact on families and communities.

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“Let’s Not Pretend Society Is Healthy”

Poida begins by warning against the illusion that simply banning Facebook or adult content will create a healthy society.

“Olketa bae yumi nomo save holem taet yumi mo pretend se community or society i healty or I oraet.”
He believes that advisers pushing for social-media bans are mainly worried about criticism online, not about the real issues affecting the whole nation.

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A Plea to Vanuatu’s Leaders

Addressing Prime Minister Jotham Napat and Deputy PM Johnny Koanapo directly, Poida calls for stronger controls on alcohol—whether through banning public drinking, cracking down on black-market sales, or other practical measures.

“Plis banem alcohol lo public places, black market or mi no save but faenem wan solution blo controlem how man i usem alcohol.”

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The Harm Alcohol Causes

Poida lists the destructive effects he sees every week:

• Accidents and deaths caused by drunk driving or alcohol-fuelled fights
• Noise and disturbance in communities during workdays and especially weekends
• Teen drinking, where students gather in town on Fridays while parents back on the islands remain unaware
• Gang growth, as unemployed youths spend their days drinking and causing trouble

In his words, “you namem wanem bottle ia I save causem lo life,”—every bottle brings risk to life.

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“Facebook Never Killed Anyone”

While acknowledging concerns about online harm, Poida makes a sharp comparison:

“Plis… stopem Facebook we I never kilem man mo pornographie but considerem hemia too we I kilem man nokut yumi get rid lo hem be leko the most dangerous wan i stap kilem family blo you.”
To him, alcohol is the silent killer that government should tackle before focusing on social-media restrictions.

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Community and Police Support Needed

Poida closes with a weekend wish and a reminder that police and local chiefs need backing to address these deep-rooted problems.

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Takeaway
Moise Poida’s message is clear: before investing energy in Facebook bans or internet censorship, Vanuatu’s leaders should confront the ongoing crisis of alcohol abuse that is tearing at the fabric of families and communities.