XN000022-1976-12-21 — Page 2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1976

ADDICTS SPEND $550 MILLION ON HEROIN ANNUALLY

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HONG KONG'S DRUG ADDICTS ARE SPENDING ABOUT $550 MILLION A YEAR ON HEROIN, MANY OF THEM ARE IN THE WORKING CLASS AND STARTED TAKING DRUGS WHEN ONLY 15 YEARS OLD.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE FINDINGS THAT HAVE EMERGED FROM A RECENT STUDY MADE BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON SOME 550 ADDICTS WHO ATTEND THE HIGH STREET METHADONE MAINTENANCE CENTRE.

ELABORATING ON THE FINDINGS AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE LION'S CLUB OF LION ROCK TODAY, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (NARCOTICS), DR. K.F. CHAN, SAID AN ADDICT SPENT AN AVERAGE OF $30 A DAY TO MAINTAIN THEIR HABIT.

ASSUMING THAT THERE WERE ONLY 50,000 ADDICTS IN HONG KONG, HE CONTINUED, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT WOULD TOTAL NEARLY $550 MILLION A YEAR WHICH IS VERY NEARLY THE BUDGET FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES FOR LAST YEAR,+ HE SAID.

HE SAID THAT THE COST TO THE SOCIETY CAUSED BY DRUG ADDICTION WAS INCALCULABLE, WITH LARGE SUMS OF PUBLIC MONEY BEING SPENT ON ENFORCING THE LAW AND ON TREATING THE ADDICTS.

DR. CHAN SAID IT WAS SIGNIFICANT TO NOTE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE 550 ADDICTS INVOLVED IN THE STUDY STARTED TO TAKE DRUGS BETWEEN 15 AND 19 YEARS OF AGE.

THE REASONS THE ADDICTS GAVE FOR TAKING DRUGS INCLUDE: FUN, SEX, GROUP ACCEPTANCE, FATIGUE AND FRUSTRATION.

+TO ELABORATE, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THESE PEOPLE TOOK DRUGS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO TRY DRUGS FOR FUN, THEY THOUGHT DRUGS WOULD IMPROVE THEIR SEXUAL PROWESS, THEY GOT MIXED UP WITH BAD COMPANY, THEY TRIED TO GET RELIEF FROM PAIN OR OTHER COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH AN ILLNESS, THEY WANTED TO OVERCOME FATIGUE OR BOOST THEMSELVES UP TO DO SOME MORE WORK, AND THEY SOUGHT SOLACE FROM SOME FORM OF FRUSTRATION SUCH AS FAMILY AND MARITAL TROUBLE,+ DR. CHAN SAID.

ANOTHER FINDING WAS THAT MOST OF THE ADDICTS WERE WORKING AS LABOURERS, HAWKERS, FACTORY WORKERS, TAILORS, WAITERS AND DRIVERS. SOME NINE PER CENT OF THEM COULD BE REGARDED AS HAVING BEEN EXPOSED TO DRUG ADDICTION AS AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD BECAUSE THEY WORKED IN PLACES SUCH AS ILLEGAL DIVANS AND GAMBLING HOUSES.

WITH SUCH A LARGE ADDICT POPULATION AS IN HONG KONG, SAID DR. CHAN, A-MULTIPLICITY OF CHOICE OF TREATMENT METHODS AND PROGRAMMES WAS REQUIRED.

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