monthly helicopter dental service makes available treatment to resi- dents in inaccessible areas. With the opening of the Tai Lam Dental Clinic, there are at present 33 government dental clinics, including a mobile dental unit.
99. Fluoridation of the Colony's urban water supplies began in 1961. The rate of cnrichment was formerly at two levels. This was changed in 1972 to 0.7 parts of fluoride per million throughout the year. This level was maintained in consideration of more recent work on the study of optimum fluoride levels for community water supplies. The cost of this operation was estimated at about 16.3 cents a person a year. Dental health education plays an important part in combatting dental disease, and the dental service continued to take advantage of major educational exbibitions to disseminate information and advice on dental health.
FORENSIC PATHOLOGY
100. The forensic pathology service consists of a main laboratory in the Hong Kong headquarters of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. and another laboratory in the Mong Kok Police Station. It deals mainly with medico-legal work in close association with the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. This includes all homicidal deaths, deaths under suspicious circumstances, sexual offences, and other offences against the person. Autopsies are performed in both the Victoria Public Mortuary, Hong Kong, and the Kowloon Public Mortuary, Kowloon.
GOVERNMENT LABORATORY
101. The laboratory provides chemical and related scientific services for government departments. During the year, 39,759 items were examined by the professional and technical staff, an all-time record.
102. In the forensic science division, there was a marked increase in the number of questioned documents examined, particularly passports and forged papers. Handwriting examinations featured prominently in the year's work. A series of murder cases occupied the attention of the scientific staff of the division throughout the year.
103. The quantity of illicit drugs of all kinds examined by the narcotics section was steady, and staff of the narcotics section had to work through several week-ends on the larger seizures
104. The introduction of the methadone maintenance scheme im- posed on the staff of the toxicology section a considerable additional
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The Methadone Pilot Scheme Treatment Centre was opened during the year in Eastern Street, occupying premises of the former mental hospital. The Centre is responsible for the Department's three-year methadone maintenance programme involving 550 volunteer patients,
In-patients at the Methadone Pilot Scheme Treatment Centre have much time on their hands. A favourite occupation is to watch television. Here two patients are enjoying an afternoon programans.