FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 1987
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A YEAR OF CHALLENGES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS
THE YEAR 1986 WITNESSED THE EMERGENCE OF SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE DRUG SCENE AND NEW INITIATIVES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG ACTIVITIES.
IN THE OF
DESPITE THE SIXTH SUCCESSIVE YEAR OF BUMPER OPIUM CROP GOLDEN TRIANGLE, THERE WERE POSITIVE INDICATIONS THAT THE PROBLEM HEROIN ABUSE WAS BEING CONTAINED LAST YEAR.
THIS WAS WELL REFLECTED BY THE SIGNIFICANT DROP BY 22 PER CENT IN THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED DRUG ADDICTS WHEN COMPARED WITH 1985, REPRESENTING A CONTINUATION OF THE DOWNWARD TREND SINCE 1984.
THE ABOVE IS REVEALED IN THE HONG KONG NARCOTICS REPORT FOR 1986 PUBLISHED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (CAN).
THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ACAN. PROFESSOR GERALD CHOA, HOWEVER, NOTED IN THE FOREWORD TO THE REPORT THAT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MANDRAX (METHAQUALONE) ABUSERS WAS RECORDED IN THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSERS (CRDA) DURING 1986 TOGETHER WITH SOME INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CANNABIS ABUSERS.
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ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF PERSONS REPORTED WAS SMALL COMPARED WITH THE NUMBER OF REPORTED HEROIN ABUSERS THE ACAN LAID PLANS DURING THE YEAR FOR INTENSIFYING ACTION AGAINST PSYCHOTROPIC DRUG ABUSE,' PROFESSOR CHOA SAID.
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"ACAN ALSO HAD PLANS FOR TRYING TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ON THE PATTERN OF SUCH DRUG ABUSE AND ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO MAY BE INVOLVED, HE CONTINUED.
IN FACT, THE INCREASING PROBLEM OF THE ABUSE OF PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES, IN PARTICULAR MANDRAX, WAS BEING MONITORED CLOSELY AND TACKLED WITH CARE ON A SCALE COMMENSURATE WITH THE SIZE OF THE KNOWN PROBLEM.
THESE COUNTER-ACTIONS WERE FURTHER STRENGTHENED BY JUDICIARY WHO RECOGNISED THE MANDRAX PROBLEM BY EQUATING SENTENCING LEVEL OF MANDRAX CASES ITH THAT FOR OPIUM CASES.
THE
THE
ACTIVITIES
HIGH
THROUGHOUT 1986, PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY DISSEMINATING ANTI-NARCOTICS MESSAGES WERE UBIQUITOUS AS PRIORITY WAS ACCORDED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
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WERE
FINANCIAL
IN SOME INSTANCES, THE DISTRICT ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGNS ACTUALLY INITIATED BY THE PUBLIC WITH GOVERNMENT PROVIDING SUPPORT, THE CHAIRMAN SAID.
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/SCHOOL TALKS