له
SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1985
*WE HAVE INDEED COME A LONG WAY IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS DURING WHICH THE REGISTERED ELECTORATE HAD INCREASED FROM LESS THAN 40 000 TO MORE THAN 1.4 MILLION, HE SAID.
THE RECENT DISTRICT BOARD ELECTIONS, HE SAID, CLEARLY INDICATED THAT THE PREVIOUS CRITICISM OF POLITICAL APATHY AMONGST THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WAS NO LONGER VALID.
+WHATEVER INTERPRETATION ONE MAY MAKE OUT OF THE TURNOUT FIGURES, THE MESSAGE IS CLEAR ENOUGH AND THAT IS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE PLEDGED GREATER SUPPORT TO DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, + HE SAID.
HIGH RISK OF TETANUS AMONG HEROIN ADDICTS
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A RECENT STUDY BY THE NARCOTICS DIVISION OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT REVEALED THAT OF ALL THE 67 PERSONS IN HONG KONG WHO CONTRACTED TETANUS BETWEEN APRIL 1981 AND SEPTEMBER 1984, 54 OR 81 PER CENT OF THEM WERE HEROIN ADDICTS AND FOR 46 OR 85 PER CENT OF THESE ADDICTS, THE TETANUS PROVED FATAL.
THESE GRIM STATISTICS TOOK NO ACCOUNT OF THE RUINED LIVES, CRIMINAL ACTS AND OTHER SOCIAL EVILS WHICH ACCOMPANIED HEROIN ADDICTION, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR GORDON MORTIMER, SAID AT THE OPENING OF THE DRUG AWARENESS FORTNIGHT+.
+HEROIN ADDICTION CONTINUES TO BE A SERIOUS SOCIAL PROBLEM,+ MR MORTIMER SAID. THE ABUSE OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS, WHICH CAN BE JUST AS HARMFUL AS HEROIN, IS NOT A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN HONG KONG ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT INDICATIONS.
+WE ARE NOT EXPERIENCING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CASES ADMITTED TO THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS. THERE IS NO PERCEPTIBLE DRUG RELATED DETERIORATION IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN THE SCHOOLS. AND THERE IS NO UPSURGE IN ABSENTEEISM AT SCHOOL OR IN THE WORK PLACE, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, HE SAID THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE HOW MANY PEOPLE MIGHT BE ABUSING PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS ON AN OCCASIONAL OR CASUAL BASIS AND WHO HAD NOT YET FELT IN NEED OF MEDICAL TREATMENT.
THE NARCOTICS DIVISION CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE SITUATION CAREFULLY THROUGH THE ANALYSIS OF REPORTS TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE (CRDA), THROUGH SPECIAL SURVEYS CONDUCTED BY CERTAIN OF THE REPORTING AGENCIES, AND THROUGH SEIZURES OF ILLICIT PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS.
THE DANGERS OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG ABUSE WERE INCLUDED IN THE DRUG EDUCATION TALKS CONDUCTED BY THE SCHOOL TALKS TEAM OF THE NARCOTICS DIVISION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE URGED TO SAFEGUARD THE IR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING.
/MR MORTIMER