0003160 G.F. 316
SECRET., £**
24.
A.C.A.N. at its inception consisted of a large main committee of Government Officers and members of Voluntary Agencies supported by five sub-committee viz :-
(a) Education and Publicity Sub-Committee,
(b) Deterrents Sub-Committee,
(c)
Illicit Traffic Sub-Committee,
(d) Research Sub-Committee,
and
(e) Treatment and Rehabilitation Sub-Committee.
The only change over the years has been the merging of the Illicit Traffic Sub-Committee into the Deterrents Sub-Committee, otherwise the basic organisation and layout has remained virtually unaltered.
25.
In the light of experience A.C.A.N. has amended its Terms of Reference to keep abreast of changing conditions, but its basic aim may be summarised by quoting its present first Term of Reference which is :
"To ensure co-ordination and co-operation between all Government and voluntary agencies working towards the elimination of the narcotic and other illicit drug traffic in Hong Kong and the cure and rehabilitation of drug dependents and to enlist public support for these aims and objects."
The above has always been the principal purpose of A.C.A.N. and continues to be so. The titles of the various sub-committees are descriptive of their functions requiring no further explana- tion at this stage. A.C.A.N. and its sub-committees have been active since 1965 meeting regularly and achieving considerable progress; but weaknesses are evident which need correction if Hong Kong's campaign against the ruthlessly professional and very lucrative illicit traffic is to be conducted successfully and if all the other aspects of anti-narcotics work are to be controlled and directed to meet the needs of the situation as it exists today.
26.
A new facet in the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts is about to be launched in Hong Kong by the Medical and Health Department and the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society in the form of two pilot methadone maintenance programmes operated largely on an out-patient basis. These small pilot schemes will run for three years and are aimed primarily at the hardened addict who is beyond retrieval so far as the normal methods of treatment and rehabilitation are concerned. The purpose of the programmes is to see whether confirmed addicts can be weaned off destructive heroin and onto addictive but non-destructive methadone. A second purpose of one of the schemes is to determine whether hardened addicts can be cured of drug dependence altogether by first substituting methadone for heroin and later by administering a placebo in place of methadone.
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