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The Education Department is also carrying out a programme of assistance and training to schools and teachers to enable them to perform their essential task of educating their students to stay away from drugs more effectively. A new three-day drug education workshop co-organised with the Narcotics Division for in-service secondary school teachers was introduced in July 1994 and is now organised regularly to enrich teachers' knowledge on drug and substance abuse and enhance their skills in implementing drug education. A one-day drug education course for primary school teachers has started in July this year. To strengthen teachers' skills in conducting preventive drug education, the Education Department jointly organised with the Community Drug Advisory Council a two-day course on Life Skills Training for Secondary School Teachers in April 1995. So far three courses have been held. A Drug Education Resource Corner was set up in September to support teachers in implementing drug education in schools, pending the opening of a separate Drug Education Resource Centre in March 1996.
The Narcotics Division has strengthened its drug education talks for secondary school students. A new package of talks was launched last month. The contents and format of the talks have been improved on the recommendations of a working group involving the Narcotics Division, the Education Department, school principals and social workers. The new talks are updated to take into account the changing trends in substance abuse, and the different needs of secondary school students in junior and upper forms. Guidelines for conducting associated activities both before and after the talk have been issued to schools to encourage them to put more emphasis on drug education and reinforce the anti-drug messages delivered during the talks.
School social workers are alert to the problem of substance abuse among students and convey anti-drug messages to students during their daily contacts. The Against Substance Abuse Scheme, established by the Social Welfare Department last month with six specially trained social workers, will focus on working with schools to combat drug abuse problems among students. The Department is producing a video programme targeted at parents on the handling of drug problems among their children. The video will be available for distribution to schools by the end of this year.
I should add in this context that the Hospital Authority also operates six Substance Abuse Clinics, aiming at weaning young people away from substance abuse. PS33, run by the Hong Kong Christian Service, also provides counselling service to youths involved in substance abuse.
(c) 776 young people under the age of 21 were arrested in 1994 for offences associated with psychotropic substances. This compares with 743 in 1993 and 724 in the first nine months of 1995.
End/Wednesday, November 22, 1995