13 DECIN
NKK1912
Anti-drug driver
HONG KONG SANDARD
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is making "fair progress"
NARCOTICS CHIEF IS OPTIMISTIC
THE current anti-drug campaign is going "reasonably well" Commissioner of Narcotics, Mr Norman Rolph, said yesterday.
He said: "It's difficult at this stage to know just what impact we have made until we're able to conduct our survey at the end of it."
But he told .. Standard that "the campaign is running according to schedule and appears to be quite successful."
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Mr Rolph said: Towards the end of the campaign there will be the Action Committee Against Drugs mini-soccer competition Tsuenwan next month. That will provide some sort of publicity to the campaign.'
Mr Rolph also disclosed that good progress is being made on the present White Paper on drugs.
He said: "The paper has been the subject of a great deal of consultations with all sorts of people engaged in the matcuties held the police, the Preventive Service, the voluntary agencies, Sarda and the Prisons Department
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Mr Rolph said that it was the first time in almost 15 years that such a paper on duge was being drawn up. "But, the drugs situation now is very different from what it was then, he remarked.
Mr Rolph considered the White Paper to be of particular importance "as a means of telling the people of Hongkong what the Government's intentions are in the field of narcotics with a view to overcoming the problems.”
The commissioner disclosed that the paper would deal with the Colony's international relations, law and enforcentent matters as well as with treatment and rehabilitation.
Mr Rolph said: "The Governor made it quite clear in his speech that one of the most important things that we've got to introduce, is to expand treatment facilities for drug addicts."
He added that the Colony's Treatment programmes "don't go far enough.'
The White Paper would alto touch on Hongkong's relations with the Thai authorities. He said: "Our relations with the Thais are of such importance that We have posted # permanent liaison officer Bangkok. He is Mr Peter Law, who left to take up his post on November 1.
Mr Rolph said that My Law,
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a former anti-corruption office administrator, will have report to the Commissioner of Police
as well ELS to the Commissioner of Narcotick