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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1980
COURSE ON DRUG ADDICTION PROBLEMS ENDS TODAY
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TWENTY-TWO DOCTORS FROM SEVEN REGIONAL COUNTRIES TODAY ENDED A THREE-WEEK COURSE ON THE TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG DEPENDENT PERSONS.
THE COURSE, BEGUN ON OCTOBER 28, IS THE SECOND ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON BEHALF OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION TO PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF THE LATEST THEORIES AND PRACTICES IN DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION.
LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS IN THE FIELD, INCLUDING
DR ROBERT NEWMAN, USA DR CHARAS SUWANWELA, THAILAND-
DR V. NAVARATNAM, MALAYSIA PROF GERALD CHOA, CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND PROF J.W.L. KLEEVENS, HONG KONG UNIVERSITY, GAVE LECTURES ON SUBJECTS RANGING FROM THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DRUG DEPENDENCE TO THE PHARMACOLOGICAL BASIS OF METHADONE TREATMENT+.
THE COURSE ALSO GAVE THE DOCTORS A FIRST-HAND LOOK AT THE ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HONG KONG'S MULTI-MODALITY TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES AND TO DISCUSS THEM WITH THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND STAFF OF THE INSTITUTIONS CONCERNED.
LAST SATURDAY, THEY TOOK TIME OFF TO ATTEND THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE YAU MA TEI DISTRICT ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN TO SEE HOW HONG KONG TACKLES THE DRUG PROBLEM THROUGH COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROJECTS.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NARCOTICS DIVISION SAID THE HOLDING OF THE SECOND WHO COURSE IN HONG KONG WAS A RECOGNITION OF THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS IN THE FIELD OF NARCOTICS ABUSE PREVENTION, AND TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION, BY THE WORLD HEALTH AUTHORITY,
+HONG KONG'S APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM, WHICH HAS BESET US OVER THE DECADES, HAS BEEN PRAGMATIC AND WE HAVE LEARNT FROM EXPERIENCE THAT THERE IS NO SINGLE SOLUTION, THAT THERE IS NO ACCEPTABLE PANACEA, AND THAT WE MUST PERFORCE ADOPT MULTI- MODALITY TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMMES.
+EXAMPLES OF THESE ARE THE VOLUNTARY METHADONE OUT-PATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAMME RUN BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE VOLUNTARY IN-PATIENT TREATMENT PROGRAMME RUN BY THE SOCIETY FOR THE AID AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ABUSERS, AND THE CUSTODIAL TREATMENT PROGRAMME OF THE PRISONS DEPARTMENT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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