FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 1986
8
CHALLENGING YEAR IN FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS
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DESPITE THE FIFTH SUCCESSIVE BUMPER OPIUM CROP IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE IN 1985 RESULTING IN AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF ILLICIT NARCOTICS IN HONG KONG AND A LOW RETAIL PRICE OF NO. 3 HEROIN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, LARGE NUMBERS OF ADDICTS VOLUNTARILY SOUGHT AND REMAINED IN TREATMENT.
THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED DRUG ADDICTS INCREASED SLIGHTLY BY ONE PER CENT ABOVE THE LOW 1984 LEVEL. BUT THE FIGURE FOR 1985 WAS STILL LOWER THAN THE FIGURES RECORDED IN 1982 AND 1983, WHICH WAS AN INDICATION THAT THE HEROIN ABUSE SITUATION OVERALL SEEMED TO BE STABILISING.
THIS IS DISCLOSED IN THE HONG KONG NARCOTICS REPORT FOR 1985 PUBLISHED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN).
THE CHAIRMAN OF ACAN, PROFESSOR GERALD CHOA, SAID IN THE FOREWORD TO THE REPORT THAT THE WELL TRIED AND TESTED STRATEGY FOR THE COMBATTING DRUG ABUSE IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED FULLY IN 1985.
+THE PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY PARENTS, TO REPORT NEIGHBOURHOOD DRUG PEDDLING ACTIVITIES LED TO A SIGN IF ICANT FLOW OF USEFUL INFORMATION WHICH GREATLY ASSISTED THE WORK OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, HE SAID.
IN 1985, ACAN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, LAUNCHED THE STUDENTS AGAINST DRUGS MOVEMENT, ONE OF THE LARGEST ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGNS EVER HELD IN HONG KONG. MORE THAN 1 000 STUDENTS SELECTED FROM 84 SECONDARY SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN A SERIES OF COMPETITIONS DESIGNED WITH AN ANTI-NARCOTICS THEME.
+THE STUDENTS AGAINST DRUGS MOVEMENT PROVED TO BE AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS AND THERE WAS A VERY ENCOURAGING RESPONSE TO THE BID TO INVOLVE PARENTS AND CIVIC ORGANISATIONS IN ANTI-NARCOTICS: ACTIVITIES, + PROF CHOA SAID.
AS A NEW INITIATIVE, A TERRITORY-WIDE CAMPAIGN INVOLVING MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES (MAC'S), WAS LAUNCHED IN 1985 TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS.
DURING THE YEAR, A TOTAL OF 12 432 PERSONS WERE PROSECUTED FOR DANGEROUS DRUGS OFFENCES, AN INCREASE OF 10.9 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 1984 AND REFLECTING THE INTENSIVE ENFORCEMENT ACTION TAKEN BY THE POLICE AND THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT. OF THE PERSONS PROSECUTED, 1 191 WERE UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE, COMPARED WITH 1 080 IN 1984.
THE REPORT