SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 1994
2
GROWTH RATE IN YOUTH DRUG ABUSE SLOWING
THE GROWTH RATE IN DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS SEEMS TO BE SLOWING, DESPITE A DROP IN RETAIL PRICE OF HEROIN.
"YET WE CANNOT AFFORD TO GROW COMPLACENT, WE MUST STRIVE CONSTANTLY FOR NEW AND MORE EFFECTIVE WAYS OF PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF ILLICIT DRUGS WHICH ARE A TERRIBLE MENACE TO OUR SOCIETY, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR ALASDAIR SINCLAIR, SAID.
11
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE ANTI-DRUG CARNIVAL ORGANISED BY THE YOUTH VOLUNTEER GROUP OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS THIS (SUNDAY) MORNING AT THE KOWLOON PARK PIAZZA, TSIM SHA TSUI,
ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL FIGURES, THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED YOUNG ABUSERS WAS UP BY 55 PER CENT IN THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF LAST YEAR COMPARED TO THE SAME PERIOD IN 1992.
MR SINCLAIR ATTRIBUTED THIS ALARMING PERCENTAGE INCREASE AT LEAST IN PART TO A 17 PER CENT DROP IN THE RETAIL PRICE OF HEROIN.
17
"FALLING PRICES ALWAYS STIMULATE DEMAND,' HE SAID.
"BUT WE CAN TAKE SOME COMFORT FROM THE FACTS THAT THE GROWTH RATE IN YOUNG DRUG ABUSE WAS ONLY 24 PER CENT IN THE THREE MONTHS FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER.
AND THAT MORE THAN 99.7 PER CENT OF THE AGE GROUP BETWEEN 11 AND 20 HAS NO KNOWN INVOLVEMENT WITH DRUGS.
"OUR PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES CAN CLAIM PART OF THE CREDIT FOR THE LOW PREVALENCE OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, HE REMARKED.
"
"WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THIS WORK.
"IT IS SO MUCH BETTER TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BEING CAUGHT UP IN THE MISERY OF DRUG ADDICTION, WHICH IS SO DIFFICULT TO END," MR SINCLAIR ADDED.
LOOKING BACK OVER 1993, ON TOP OF ANTI-DRUG DISTRICT CAMPAIGNS AND ACTIVITIES, THE NARCOTICS DIVISION HAD MADE HUNDREDS OF SCHOOL VISITS, ORGANISED DRUG EDUCATION SEMINARS FOR PARENTS, TRACHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS AND FINAL-YEAR STUDENTS AT THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION.
AS
THE AUTOMATED DRUG ABUSE TELEPHONE HOTLINE HAD ALSO RECEIVED NEARLY 370,000 ENQUIRIES ON HARMFUL EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE, AS WELL GUIDANCE ON TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION SERVICES.
/3