SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1977
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NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS IN PRISONS FALLS
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THE NUMBER OF CONFIRMED DRUG ADDICTS ADMITTED TO PRISONS DEPARTMENT INSTITUTIONS LAST YEAR DROPPED DRAMATICALLY COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
IN 1975, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ADDICTS ADMITTED WAS 6,962, OR 63.96 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION OF ALL INSTITUTIONS. DURING 1976 THESE FIGURES FELL TO 4,737 OR 47.17 PER CENT.
IN JANUARY 1975 THE NUMBER OF CONFIRMED ADDICTS ADMITTED WAS 633 (66.42 PER CENT OF ALL ADMISSIONS). BY JANUARY 1976 THIS FIGURE HAD DROPPED TO 570 (55.23 PER CENT) AND BY DECEMBER 1976 HAD BEEN FURTHER REDUCED TO 279 (39.13 PER CENT). DESPITE THIS, THE NUMBER OF FEMALE ADDICTS ROSE FROM 58 IN 1975 TO 73 IN 1976.
COMMENTING ON THESE FIGURES MR. LO KWOK-KUEN, SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT (TREATMENT OF DRUG ADDICTS) OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT. SAID THAT A NUMBER OF FACTORS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE STEEP DROP.
HE SAID THAT THERE HAD GENERALLY BEEN A FALL IN THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARRESTED AND GIVEN TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT IN HONG KONG, PERHAPS LARGELY BECAUSE OF BETTER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THIS, COUPLED WITH A RESPONSE TO THE HEAVY PUBLICITY AND EDUCATION PROGRAMMES OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS * COULD HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE OVERALL PICTURE.
+MANY YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE IR FAMILIES IN HONG KONG ARE NOW MORE AWARE OF THE DANGERS OF TAKING DRUGS AND ARE MORE INTERESTED IN HEALTHY OUTDOOR PURSUITS+, MR. LO SAID.
+THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERAL ENVIRONMENT COULD ALSO BE ANOTHER FACTOR. THERE IS MUCH MORE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO DO HERE THAN BEFORE. PICNICS AND BARBEQUES HAVE BECOME MORE POPULAR, AND YOUNG PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE COUNTRYSIDE MUCH MORE NOW+, HE ADDED,
MR. LO ALSO POINTED OUT THE SUCCESS OF THE POLICE AND THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS IN MAKING MANY LARGE SEIZURES OF DRUGS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY ONTO THE STREETS AND INTO THE HANDS OF POTENTIAL ADDICTS.
MR. LO SAID THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT OPERATED A UNIQUE DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAMME WITH A 60 PER CENT SUCCESS RATE ONE YEAR AFTER RELEASE → EXTREMELY HIGH BY WORLD STANDARDS. THE METHADONE TREATMENT CENTRES RUN BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD ALSO TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
MR. LO SAID THAT THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT WAS PLEASED WITH THIS TREND AND HOPED IT WOULD CONTINUE.
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