XN000022-1974-03-13 — Page 23

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Wednesday, March 13, 1974

"In addition more education about the dangers of drugs will be

needed as a safeguard for all young people here.

"Proper control of factory-made drugs will also be of importance. They

are at present dealt with in the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance, This is

designed primarily to control pharmacists and to regulate the sale of poisons,

not to deal with the problems connected with the abuse of these drugs.

Thought is now being given to its revision. A Bill to provide specifically

for factory-made drugs of abuse is envisaged."

In its conclusion the report states: "It is a major object of the

government to stop the illicit trafficking of drugs into the through Hong Kong

and to eradicate drug abuse from the community. The problem falls into

four major parts. First is the illicit production of opium. This leads to

the extensive clandestine traffic from the growing areas to places of

embarkation, and then to Hong Kong. Next follows internal distribution,

manufacture, sale and consumption, creating the fourth and ultimate problem

of many thousands of addicts,

"Over the first, and to a great extent the second, Hong Kong has no

jurisdiction. The need is for international action and the closest possible

co-operation between the governments concerned. In this Hong Kong stands ready

to play its part. Smuggling operations within Hong Kong's boundaries, internal

traffic and manufacture, and the prevention, cure and after-care of addiction

hero, are domestic matters, principally for local action. Those who engage

in the business for profit will be pursued, while sufficiently large programmes

of treatment for drug addicts will be developed to reduce substantially, and

eventually to eradicate, drug abuse from the community.

"The four ******