Ann. B
- 4-
engaged in the manufacture,
sale and trafficking of narcotics
commits an offence and might be sentenced to life imprisonment
or even death. Under the Drug Administration Law 1984, the
import and export of narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances were subject to a certificate system.
In response
to our query, Chen Yin-qing said that the Chinese policy in
handling drug addicts was to educate them first. If that did
not work, they would be fined and detained. It is worth
noting that, as requested by the Hong Kong Government,
China
has since December 1986 ceased producing methaqualone, a
depressant which is listed as a dangerous drug in Hong Kong
under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and the abuse of which is
getting more and more serious among young people in Hong Kong.
Jiang said that the cessation in the manufacture of this drug
was in keeping with international opinion which suggested that
methaqualone had little medical use and had great potential to
be abused. Mr. Jiang then told us that with the setting up of
the Drug Dependence Research Centre (DDRC) in the Beijing
Medical University in 1984, the methods of testing
psychotropic substance have much improved.
7.
Jiang and Chen both claimed that there was no drug
abuse problem in China though they admitted that a small
number of villagers living near the Chinese-Burmese borders
were abusing opium and that occasionally,
found on foreign students.
cannabis could be
I suggested to Jiang that M.P.H.