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TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 1994
LATEST DRUG ABUSE FIGURES RELEASED
* * * * *
A TOTAL OF 6,437 PERSONS OF ALL AGES WERE REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE (CRDA) IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1994, REPRESENTING A 3.6 PER CENT INCREASE WHEN COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
MEMBERS OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) WERE ALSO TOLD IN A MEETING TODAY (TUESDAY) THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED PERSONS OF ALL AGES INCREASED BY 15.2. PER CENT AS COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD OF 1993, A RISE FROM 959 TO 1,105.
AMONG THE NEWLY REPORTED, 620 OF THEM WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 21, UP BY 21.1 PER CENT AGAINST THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.
REGARDING THE TYPES OF DRUGS ABUSED, THE CRDA STATISTICS REVEALED THAT AMONG THE YOUNGSTERS REPORTED IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1994, 83 PER CENT HAD ABUSED HEROIN, 12.6 PER CENT CANNABIS AND EIGHT PER CENT COUGH MEDICINE.
ON LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS FOR DRUG OFFENCES INCREASED FROM 2,736 IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1993 TO 3,605 IN THE SAME PERIOD OF 1994 A RISE OF 31.8 PER CENT.
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OF THE PEOPLE ARRESTED, 703 (OR 19.5 PER CENT) WERE UNDER 21 AND A MAJORITY OF THEM (520 OR 74 PER CENT) WERE ARRESTED FOR MINOR DRUG OFFENCES.
ON TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION, THE THREE MAJOR PROGRAMMES, RUN BY THE SOCIETY FOR THE AID AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ABUSERS (SARDA), THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, ADMITTED LARGER NUMBER OF DRUG ABUSERS.
IN THE
PROGRAMMES OF THE 3,260 PERSONS ADMITTED TO THE THREE FIRST QUARTER OF 1994, 821 (OR 25.2 PER CENT) WERE FIRST-TIME ADMISSIONS.
THE INCREASES IN TOTAL ADMISSIONS AND IN 3.4 PER CENT AND 32.2 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.
WAS
NEW
ADMISSIONS WERE
THE INCREASE IN NEW ADMISSIONS
HIGHEST IN THE UNDER-21 CENT IN GROUP, BY 88.2 PER CENT IN THE SARDA PROGRAMME AND BY 87 PER THE DRUG ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRES.
THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE FOR PROGRAMME WAS 70.4 PER CENT.
THE METHADONE
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TREATMENT