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Wednesday, October 18, 1972
HONG KONG'S NARCOTICS SUPPLIES FROM THAILAND
The Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, said today that as far as
Hong Kong is concerned, the source of narcotics is "wholly or very nearly
wholly dependent on supplies from Thailand."
Speaking on the drug problem at the opening of the new Legislative
Council session, the Governor, said that the work done in Hong Kong against
narcotics trafficking has been acknowledged to be second to none in the world,
The prevalence of narcotics here has kept us in the front line of a
world war against narcotics trafficking, which was being stepped up through
the initiative mainly of the United Nations and the United States,
"The problem of a high addiction rate remains, together with its
obviously close relationship to some types of crime," he continued.
It has not increased nor has it reduced in spite of devoted work
by many men and women in different branches of the public service and in the
voluntary organisations.
The Governor said that Hong Kong's Commissioner for Narcotics, who
is in charge of internal co-ordination and overseas liaison, is already
reviewing treatment and rehabilitation methods, including preliminary
experiments in methadone maintenance.
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