22
Wednesday, March 13, 1974
"In addition more education about the dangers of drugs will be
needed as a safeguard for all young people here.
"Proper control of factory-made drugs will also be of importance. They
are at present dealt with in the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, This is
designed primarily to control pharmacists and to regulate the sale of poisons,
not to deal with the problems connected with the abuse of these drugs.
Thought is now being given to its revision. A Bill to provide specifically
for factory-made drugs of abuse is envisaged."
In its conclusion the report states: "It is a major object of the
government to stop the illicit trafficking of drugs into the through Hong Kong
and to eradicate drug abuse from the community. The problem falls into
four major parts. First is the illicit production of opium. This leads to
the extensive clandestine traffic from the growing areas to places of
embarkation, and then to Hong Kong. Next follows internal distribution,
manufacture, sale and consumption, creating the fourth and ultimate problem
of many thousands of addicts,
"Over the first, and to a great extent the second, Hong Kong has no
jurisdiction. The need is for international action and the closest possible
co-operation between the governments concerned. In this Hong Kong stands ready
to play its part. Smuggling operations within Hong Kong's boundaries, internal
traffic and manufacture, and the prevention, cure and after-care of addiction
hero, are domestic matters, principally for local action. Those who engage
in the business for profit will be pursued, while sufficiently large programmes
of treatment for drug addicts will be developed to reduce substantially, and
eventually to eradicate, drug abuse from the community.
"The four ******