BACKGROUND NOTE
THE DRUG PROBLEM IN HONG KONG
1.
Hong Kong was originally founded as a result of the opium trade with China and even now drugs are a major cause of social problems, either directly or because of their close connection with other crime. It has been estimated that there are between 80,000
and 100,000 drug addicts in Hong Kong.
2. The Hong Kong Government makes great efforts both to eradicate drug trafficking and to provide rehabilitation and treatment facilities for existing addicts.
It would be premature to make any claim as yet of success but there are some signs that the problem is at least being contained.
3. In Hong Kong during 1976, the last year for which full information is available, 12,913 persons were prosecuted for drug offences and 3,553 kilos of opium, together with 291 kilos of
morphine mixture and 164 kilos of heroin mixture were seized. The
success of these measures can be gauged from the increase in the
wholesale price of heroin which has risen from HK$19,000 per kilo in
January 1976 to HK$50,000 now.
4.
Hong Kong is one of the world leaders in the treatment of drug addicts. In 1977 HK$27 million (about £3.5 million) were budgeted for such treatment. The average daily population in the 4 drug addiction treatment centres in December 1976 was 1,588. In addition,
there were 3 privately run, but largely Government financed, centres with room for 614, and 16 methadone detoxification clinics and 4 methadone maintenance clinics. Together these clinics are currently coping with some 15,000 cases per day. Since 1958 the courts in Hong Kong have been empowered to order those found guilty of minor drug offences to undergo treatment.
5.
There was, by the end of 1976, encouraging evidence of progress in combating drug abuse amongst the young. The proportion of inmates under 21 in the treatment centres had dropped from 25% in 1969 to 5.3%
/in 1977