FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1986
DRUG ABUSE IN HONG KONG UNDER CONTROL
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HONG KONG HAS MANAGED TO KEEP THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ABUSE UNDER CONTROL, WHILE IT REMAINED AT A HIGH LEVEL IN MANY COUNTRIES, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR GORDON MORTIMER, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE LIONS CLUB OF HONG KONG HOST LUNCHEON, HE POINTED OUT THAT IN SOME COUNTRIES, ABUSE WAS EVEN INCREASING AND VERY FEW COUNTRIES WERE UNAFFECTED.
+ABUSE BY YOUNG PEOPLE GRAVELY IMPERILS COUNTRIES' FUTURES, HE SAID.
+THE WORLD SITUATION WITH REGARD TO DRUG ABUSE HAS MOVED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO LAUNCH UNPRECEDENTED AND COMPREHENSIVE COUNTER-ATTACKS AGAINST DRUG ABUSE, ILLICIT CULTIVATION, PRODUCTION, MANUFACTURE AND TRAFFICKING.
+ IN HONG KONG, WE HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP THE CONSUMPTION OF ILLICIT DRUGS GENERALLY UNDER CONTROL.
+ THE COMMUNITY IS STRONGLY OPPOSED TO DRUG ABUSE IN ALL ITS FORMS AND STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE EFFORTS WHICH ARE BEING MADE TO ERADICATE THE PROBLEM,+ HE SAID.
MR MORTIMER STRESSED THAT THE MESSAGE BEING PUT TO THE PUBLIC WAS CLEAR AND UNEQUIVOCAL, THAT THE ABUSE OF ADDICTIVE DRUGS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AND COULD RUIN LIVES AND SHOULD NOT BE TRIED - NOT EVEN ONCE.
HE WARNED THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE ADDICTIVE POWER OF THE MAJOR ILLICIT DRUGS AND ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO ABUSED THEM WAS COURTING DISASTER.
ACKNOWLEDGING THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG AND THE INCREASED AWARENESS BY THE PUBLIC, MR MORTIMER URGED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS.
HE SUGGESTED THAT THEY SHOULD KEEP A CAREFUL WATCH OVER THE IR OWN CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY TEENAGERS AND TO STEER THEM AWAY FROM DRUGS,
+AS ABOUT 980 YOUNG PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 ARE NEWLY REPORTED FOR INVOLVEMENT IN DRUGS EACH YEAR, I FEEL THAT PARENTS COULD DO MORE IN HELPING THEIR CHILDREN, HE ADDED.
MR MORTIMER REASSURED THAT COMBINED EFFORTS COULD HELP PROTECT PEOPLE FROM ONE OF THE MOST SERIOUS SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD TODAY AND SHOULD BE CONTINUED UNTIL DRUG ABUSE CEASED TO BE +A MENACE TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHOSE BRIGHT FUTURE SHINES BEFORE THEM+.
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