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HEALTH
Drug Abuse and Trafficking
The government aims to stop the illicit trafficking of drugs into and through Hong Kong; to develop a comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation programme for drug abusers; to dissuade people, in particular the young, from experimenting with drugs; and to eradicate drug abuse from the community.
Data collected by the government's Central Registry of Drug Abuse in 1995, based on 33 000 reports on 20 000 persons, indicated that 89 per cent of drug abusers were male and 11 per cent female; 53 per cent were aged over 30 years, 27 per cent were 21 to 30 years old and 20 per cent were under 21. The most common drug of abuse was heroin, which was used by 90 per cent of the persons reported to the registry. Common drugs of abuse among people aged below 21 included heroin, cannabis and cough medicines.
A total of 4 000 drug abusers came to the notice of the registry for the first time in 1995. Of the new cases, 79 per cent were male, 21 per cent were female and 50 per cent were people under 21.
Overall Strategy and Co-ordination
The government's anti-drug programme has achieved considerable success. It adopts a five-pronged approach - law enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation, preventive education and publicity, research and international co-operation.
Effective law enforcement induces abusers to seek treatment voluntarily, as a result of short supply of drugs. Treatment and rehabilitation are undertaken by the govern- ment and voluntary agencies which offer a wide range of services to meet the different needs of drug abusers from varying backgrounds. The effectiveness of these treatment programmes reduces the demand for illicit drugs. At the same time, the government places great emphasis on preventive education and publicity to heighten public awareness of the drug problem and to promote the advantages of a drug-free lifestyle. Research studies are conducted to identify trends in the nature of addiction and the addict population in Hong Kong. International co-operation through exchange of information and experience and joint action against illicit trafficking, enhances the effectiveness of efforts in these areas.
These efforts are co-ordinated by the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN), a non-statutory body which includes non-official and government members. The committee is the government's advisory body on all anti-drug policies and activities, including those undertaken by non-government agencies. It is serviced by the Narcotics Division, which is headed by the Commissioner for Narcotics.
Governor's Summit Meeting on Drugs
In March 1995, the Governor chaired the first Drugs Summit. This brought together 240 participants from a wide sector of the community to plan a community-wide education and support effort to try to halt the growing trend in drug abuse by young people. The Governor launched the Beat Drugs campaign and announced the government's 26-point Forward Action Plan to tackle the drug problem. Proposals from the summit were considered by ACAN and, in July, the government published a further 42-point action plan to follow them up.