THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1976.
ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN BEGINS ON SUNDAY
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THE ANNUAL ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGN OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) WILL BEGIN THIS SUNDAY (NOVEMBER 21) IN THE KOWLOON CITY DISTRICT WHICH HAS A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 420,000.
ANNOUNCING THIS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR. E. I. LEE, SAID THE CAMPAIGN, WHICH WOULD LAST FOR ONE MONTH, WAS MAINLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AMONGST YOUNG PEOPLE.
HE SAID THE CAMPAIGN WOULD BE BASED ON A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH. ON ONE HAND, CONCENTRATED EFFORTS WOULD BE MADE TO CREATE IN YOUNG PEOPLE A GREATER AWARENESS OF THE REAL DANGERS OF DRUG ABUSE. ON THE OTHER HAND, ACTIVITIES WOULD BE ORGANISED TO STIMULATE THEIR INTERESTS IN CONSTRUCTIVE, HEALTHY AND MEANINGFUL ALTERNATIVES TO DRUG ABUSE.
+DURING THE CAMPAIGN, A WIDE RANGE OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR, RECREATIONAL, PHYSICAL AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE, IN PARTICULAR THOSE BETWEEN THE AGE OF 15 AND 24, TO COME FORWARD AND TAKE PART, MR. LEE SAID.
+ IT IS HOPED THAT THE ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE CAN BE DRIVEN HOME TO MORE THAN 100,000 YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT, HE ADDED.
MR. LEE POINTED OUT THAT THE CAMPAIGN WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF A SERIES OF PREVENTIVE EDUCATION PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN BY ACAN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
+PREVENTIVE EDUCATION IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT IN THE ANTI-NARCOTICS FIELD AND EXPERTS IN MANY COUNTRIES ARE NOW CONVINCED THAT SUPPLY REDUCTION EFFORTS EVEN WHEN COUPLED WITH TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION, ARE NOT ENOUGH, AND THAT ULTIMATELY THE DRUG PROBLEM CAN ONLY BE CONTAINED THROUGH EFFECTIVE EDUCATION AND PREVENTION EFFORTS, HE SAID.
THE CAMPAIGN IS ORGANISED WITH THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICE, KOWLOON CITY, AND IS SPONSORED BY MORE THAN 20 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES.
THE FIRST EVENT OF THE CAMPAIGN WILL BE A GRAND OPENING CEREMONY WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO BE HELD AT THE MA TAU WAI ROAD PUBLIC PLAYGROUND THIS SUNDAY (NOVEMBER 21) WHEN MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO ATTEND.
OTHER EVENTS WILL INCLUDE A ROUND-THE-DISTRICT RACE, A WALKATHON, AND A PET SHOW, THERE WILL ALSO BE MOBILE ANTI-DRUG EXHIBITIONS- POSTER, PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CROSSWORD PUZZLE COMPETITIONS, AND LECTURES TO SCHOOL CHILDREN.
/AN OPEN