266
Summary.
During the year 1928 there were treated in Government and Chinese hospitals in the Colony only 120 persons suffering from chronic poisoning from organic sub- stances including opium and morphine.
12. The position generally may perhaps be summarised by saying that the sales of Government opium have in recent years shown a substantial diminution and are now almost at their lowest ebb.
It is believed that if there were a complete cessation of the sale of Govern- ment opium or if such sales were curtailed to any extent, this would merely be met by a more extensive smuggling of opium which would prove impossible to control however much the force of revenue officers might be increased, and the difficulties of the present position would be aggravated and all control be lost.
Opium cannot be kept out of the Colony so long as unlimited supplies are available in China, and it is believed that the control on consumption is as effective as it can possibly be made in the extraordinarily difficult circumstances which pre- vail.
The population in general does not appear to suffer to any marked extent from its use of opium.
Part II.
THE MEASURES TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE OBLIGATIONS UNDERTAKEN IN CHAPTER II OF THE
HAGUE OPIUM CONVENTION OF 1912 AND IN THE GENEVA
OPIUM AGREEMENT OF FEBRUARY 1925.
General.
Geneva Art. 1 (1).
Geneva Art. 1 (2).
Geneva Art. 1 (3).
Geneva Art. 2,
Geneva Art. 3.
1. The measures taken by the Government of Hong Kong to give effect to the above mentioned obligations are, in the belief of the Government, the best which can be adopted until, in the words of Article II of the Protocol to the Geneva Agree- ment, "the poppy-growing countries have ensured the effective execution of the necessary measures to prevent the exportation of raw opium from their territories. from constituting a serious obstacle to the reduction of consumption in the countries where the use of prepared opium is temporarily authorised".
There is no poppy-growing within the territory of the Colony.
2. The importation, sale and distribution of opium is a monopoly of the Government and the right to import, sel or distribute opium is not leased, accorded or delegated to any persons whatsoever, save as regards the retail distribution here- after mentioned.
3. The right of preparing opium for sale is also a Government monopoly.
4. Sales of Government opium are permitted to be made only by persons licensed by the Government, who are paid fixed salaries and receive no commission on sales.
5. Sale of opium to minors is prohibited by Regulation made by the Governor in Council on the 28th September, 1925.
6. The keeping of opium divans and the smoking of opium therein is prohi- bited by section 15 of the Opium Ordinance, 1923, and, though the enforcement of the provisions of this section has been somewhat relaxed for reasons stated elsewhere in this memorandum, drastic action would be taken if it became known to the au- thorities that any minor frequented a divan.