XN000022-1974-11-22 — Page 3

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1974′′ -

ON THE CONTROL OF SYNTHETIC OR FACTORY-MADE DRUGS, DR. CHOA SAID MUCH PREPARATORY WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON A LEGAL BILL, AND IT HAD BECOME CLEAR THAT EITHER THE DANGEROUS DRUGS ORDINANCE WOULD HAVE TO BE AMENDED, OR A SEPARATE ORDINANCE ENACTED.

IT WAS ALONG THESE LINES THAT DISCUSSIONS HAD BEEN CARRIED OUT, AND +HOPEFULLY, THE MATTER WILL SOON BE SETTLED.+

IN HIS VIEW, COMPARED WITH OPIUM OR HEROIN ADDICTION, IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT ABUSE OF SO-CALLED SOFT+ DRUGS, AND MULTIPLE DRUG ABUSE - · SUCH AS PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES TAK I NG AS MANY AS FIVE DRUGS, ALCOHOL, BARBITURATES, AMPHETAMINE, HEROIN, AND MARIJUANA WERE NOT, AS YET, CORMON IN HONG KONG.

BUT THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A RISK THAT MALPRACTICES COULD SPREAD. PARTICULARLY AS THE SUPPLY OF OPIUM PRODUCTS WAS BEING REDUCED.

+THE GOVERNMENT IS AWARE THAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CONTROL FACTORY-MADE DRUGS,+ DR. CHOA SAID, AND THE QUESTION HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY THE PHARMACY AND POISONS BOARD AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES. WE ARE IN UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT THAT LEGISLATION MUST BE INTRODUCED.

HE DISCLOSED THAT THE NEW PHARMACY AND POISONS REGULATIONS, A SEPARATE ISSUE, WERE BEING PROCESSED, AND WOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL +AS SOON AFTER JANUARY 1, 1975 AS POSSIBLE.+

DR. CHOA DIGRESSED AT ONE POINT IN HIS TALK TO FOLLOW THE ROMANTIC+ JOURNEY OF CONFISCATED OPIUM AND MORPHINE TO HONG KONG, THEN AWAY FROM HONG KONG, AND FINALLY BACK AGAIN, DURING WHICH THEY UNDERWENT THE TRANSFORMATION FROM ILLICIT TO LICIT.

UNDER THE DANGEROUS GOODS ORDINANCE, THE CONFISCATED PRODUCTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY ACCORDING TO PROCEDURES WHICH WERE PERFECTLY LEGAL.

THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS, HONG KONG HAD BEEN SELLING OPIUM AND MORPHINE FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS TO THE UNITED KINGDOM, WEST GERMANY, JAPAN, DENMARK, NORWAY AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

THE PRODUCTS ENTERED A MODERN PHARMACEUTICAL FACTORY WHERE THEY WERE CONVERTED FROM +A CURSE TO A COMFORT AND RELIEF TO MANKIND.+

SUMMING UP, DR. CHOA SAID HE HOPED HONG KONG HAD +AT LAST, COME TO GRIPS WITH THE DRUG ADDICTION PROBLEM.+ HE COMMENDED THE PREVENTIVE SERVICE FOR ITS ENCOURAGING SUCCESSFUL BIG HAULS MADE THIS YEAR.

WITH THE RADICAL ELIMINATION OF THE SOURCE OF SUPPLY ILLICIT OPIUM AND MORPHINE WOULD BECOME SCARCER AND MORE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN, AND THEN MORE ADDICTS WOULD COME FORWARD TO BE TREATED.

+WE ARE ALL CONFIDENT THAT WE NOW HAVE A NEW MACHINERY IN THE RECONSTITUTED ACAN WHICH WILL FUNCTION EFFECTIVELY, PERFORM USEFUL WORK, AND PRODUCE GOOD RESULTS, HE CONCLUDED.

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