SUNDAY, JULY 6, 1980
FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS IS FAR FROM OVER
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SALES
MR A. DE 0. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, TODAY (SUNDAY) CALLED ON THE COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE THE IR SUPPORT IN HONG KONG'S BATTLE AGAINST NARCOTICS BECAUSE +OUR STRUGGLE IS FAR FROM OVER+.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS' WATER CARNIVAL AT REPULSE BAY, MR SALES STRESSED THAT OUR BATTLE AGAINST DRUGS COULD NOT BE WON BY THE ACAN, THE GOVERNMENT, THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES AND THE URBAN COUNCIL ALONE +IT MUST BE A JOINT EFFORT IN WHICH ALL OF US WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY SHOULD PLAY OUR PARTS.+
+WITHOUT SUCH PUBLIC SUPPORT, HONG KONG WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WIN THE BATTLE AND EVEN THE SUCCESSES WE HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR MAY BE ERODED.+
MR SALES SAID THAT IN THE PAST, ATTITUDES OF BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE TOWARDS THE DRUG PROBLEM HAD VARIED BETWEEN HOSTILITY, RESIGNED ACCEPTANCE, OR INDIFFERENCE.
BUT, HE SAID, THESE ATTITUDES HAD PROGRESSIVELY CHANGED FROM THE EARLY 1950'S, WITH THE REALISATION BY ALL CONCERNED THAT DRUG ABUSE IS ENORMOUSLY DANGEROUS, NOT ONLY TO THE INDIVIDUALS CONCERNED, BUT ALSO TO THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
+MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE NOW, THEREFORE, INCREASINGLY
WILLING TO SUPPORT HONG KONG'S STRUGGLE AGAINST DRUGS, BY PARTICIPATING IN ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGNS, BY SPREADING THE
ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE TO MORE PEOPLE, AND BY OFFERING MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR REHABILITATION TO TREATED DRUG ADDICTS.
+THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO ALLOCATING MORE RESOURCES TO ANTI-NARCOTICS WORK IN THE AREAS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION, PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY, AND INTERNATIONAL COOPÉRATION,+ MR SALES SAID.
HE SAID THAT THE RESULTS OF ALL THESE CONCERTED EFFORTS WERE GRATIFYING - FEW DRUGS WERE GETTING INTO HONG KONG AND STREET PRICES WERE KEPT HIGH MORE ADDICTS WERE TURNING UP FOR TREATMENT- THE NUMBER OF NEW ADDICTS, IN PARTICULAR YOUNG ONES, WAS DROPPING- FEWER MINOR DRUG OFFENCES WERE BEING COMMITTED THERE HAD BEEN A CONSIDERABLE DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF ADDICTS IN PRISONS, AND HONG KONG HAD GAINED GREAT INTERNATIONAL RESPECT FOR ITS EFFORTS
IN ALL THESE FIELDS.
+THESE RESULTS HAD NOT COME EASILY OR QUICKLY, + MR SALES POINTED OUT, +BUT REPRESENT THE FRUITS OF YEARS OF HARD AND UNREMITTING WORK BY MANY DEDICATED PEOPLE IN MANY DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.+
THE WATER CARNIVAL, WHICH MARKED THE START OF ACAN'S PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES, WAS ALSO THE BIGGEST ANTI-NARCOTICS PUBLICITY EVENT TO BE LAUNCHED BY ACAN THIS YEAR.
/ONE HIGHLIGHT