MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1980
GOVERNMENT APPOINTS CONSULTANT ON NARCOTICS TREATMENT
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS APPOINTED A MEDICAL SPECIALIST ON NARCOTICS TREATMENT AS CONSULTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES.
THE CONSULTANT, DR ROBERT NEWMAN, IS A LEADING WORLD AUTHORITY IN THE FIELD OF METHADONE TREATMENT AND IS CURRENTLY THE GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE BETH-ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTRE IN NEW YORK. HE HAS BEEN CONNECTED WITH HONG KONG'S ANTI-NARCOTICS EFFORTS AND THE METHADONE TREATMENT PROGRAMMES SINCE 1975.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NARCOTICS DIVISION SAID THE REASON FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF A CONSULTANT WAS TO SUPPLEMENT THE EXPERT ADVICE AVAILABLE LOCALLY.
IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUG ABUSE, HE SAID, TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION HAVE PLAYED AN INCREASINGLY SIGNIFICANT ROLE OVER THE YEARS.
HE NOTED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A STEADY INCREASE SINCE 1975 IN THE NUMBER OF ADDICTS SEEKING TREATMENT.
ACCORDING TO STATISTICS, THE DAILY AVERAGE OF ADDICTS IN THE VARIOUS TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES AS AT THE END OF JUNE THIS YEAR WAS 14 000 COMPARED WITH 6 000 SEVEN YEARS AGO, INCREASED BY ABOUT ONE AND A HALF TIMES.
ALTHOUGH MUCH HAS BEEN ACHIEVED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS,
THE SPOKESMAN SAID, MUCH STILL REMAINS TO BE DONE.
HE STRESSED THE NECESSITY AND IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG BEING KEPT CONSTANTLY INFORMED OF NEW IDEAS AND DEVELOPMENTS WHICH ARE TAKING PLACE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH CAPABILITIES
IN ALL RELEVANT FIELDS.
AN IMPORTANT PART OF DR NEWMAN'S RESPONSIBILITIES WILL BE THE COLLATION OF, AND ADVICE ON THE POSSIBLE APPLICATION OF SUCH RESEARCH TO HONG KONG'S CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE CONSULTANT WILL BE A BRIDGE TO HELP HONG KONG BENEFIT FROM THE LATEST INTERNATIONAL THINKING AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ADDICTS, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
DR NEWMAN VISITED HONG KONG ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS BETWEEN 1975 AND 1978 AND HAS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE METHADONE TREATMENT SCHEME, AND ALSO TO THE PROPOSALS LEADING TO THE CREATION OF THE NEW CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ADDICTS (CRDA), WHICH IS NOW ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST ADVANCED SYSTEMS OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.
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