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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 1978
DROP IN NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS EXPECTED
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THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES, TODAY SAID THERE WOULD BE A DECLINE IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS IN HONG KONG, ESPECIALLY IN THE NUMBERS OF YOUNG PERSONS TURNING TO DRUGS.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. DAVIES SAID IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE ITS FOUR INTER-LOCKING PROGRAMMES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION, PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY AND INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION, ON WHICH OUR ANTI-NARCOTICS STRATEGIES WERE BASED, ADJUSTED AS APPEARS NECESSARY IN THE LIGHT OF ALL AVAILABLE FACTS.
+WE SHALL AIM TO KEEP STREET DRUG PRICES HIGH, TO INDUCE MORE ADDICTS TO COME INTO TREATMENT AT THE 21 EXISTING METHADONE MAINTENANCE CLINICS, TO CONTINUE TREATMENT AT FOUR DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRES AND THE VOLUNTARY TREATMENT BY THE SOCIETY FOR AID AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ADDICTS AND TO PERSUADE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO STAY OFF DRUGS.
MR. DAVIES SAID NO ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBER OF DRUG ADDICTS IN HONG KONG THREE YEARS AGO OR NOW WAS AVAILABLE. +THIS IS DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, AND THE INADEQUACY OF THE DATA BASE.+
HOWEVER, HE SAID, WHEN THE COMPUTERISATION OF THE NEW CENTRAL REGISTRY IS COMPLETED IN AUGUST, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE, FOR THE FIRST TIME, RELIABLE DATA ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF, AND TRENDS IN, OUR ADDICT POPULATION, AND ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR VARIOUS TREATMENT PROGRAMMES.
+ IN THE MEANTIME WE ALREADY KNOW THAT WE ARE MAKING INROADS INTO THE NUMBER OF YOUNG ADDICTS. THIS IS VERY PROMISING,+ HE ADDED.
MR. DAVIES SAID SINCE SEPTEMBER 1, 1976, WHEN A NEW SYSTEM OF REPORTING WAS INTRODUCED, 54,000 INDIVIDUAL REPORTS HAD BEEN ACCUMULATED FROM 21 AGENCIES AND 102 REPORTING SOURCES.
+THE NUMBER OF ADDICTS REPRESENTED BY THESE REPORTS IS LIKELY TO BE CONSIDERABLY LESS, BUT EVEN THEN THE RESULTANT FIGURE IS NOT COMPREHENSIVE BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW THE NUMBER OF ADDICTS RECEIVING TREATMENT FROM PRIVATE MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS, OR THOSE WHO HAVE ESCAPED ARREST.+
THE NUMBER OF ADDICTS BEING TREATED AT THE END OF APRIL THIS YEAR IN THE METHADONE PROGRAMMES AT SARDA AND AT TREATMENT CENTRES WAS 7,326 COMPARED WITH 3,282 THREE YEARS EARLIER, MR. DAVIES SAID.
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