XN000022-1977-06-05 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 1977

OVERHAUL OF CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ADDICTS

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THE GOVERNMENT'S CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ADDICTS, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1972, IS BEING RE-ORGANISED AND WILL BE COMPUTERISED LATER IN THE YEAR.

THE REGISTRY WILL THEN GIVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND READILY. ACCESSIBLE PICTURE OF DRUG ABUSE TRENDS IN HONG KONG AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR PREVENTIVE AND REHABILITATION SERVICES. IT WILL THUS BECOME AN IMPORTANT TOOL TO BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES IN THEIR ANTI-NARCOTICS WORK.

THE RE-ORGANISATION OF THE REGISTRY IS BASED ON A MASTER PLAN PRODUCED BY MR. BENT WERBELL, A DATA PROCESSING EXPERT OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, WHO WAS HERE LAST YEAR UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE U.S.A. NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE TO STUDY WAYS OF CREATING A NEW REGISTRY BASED ON MODERN STATISTICAL AND COMPUTER CONCEPTS.

THE PLAN, WHICH WAS ACCEPTED BY THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, IS TO BE CARRIED OUT IN TWO PHASES.

PHASE | COMPRISES MODIFICATIONS TO THE ORGANISATION AND OBJECT- IVES OF THE REGISTRY, UNDER THE NARCOTICS DIVISION OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A REVISED REPORTING FORM AND PROCEDURE, FOR COLLECTING INFORMATION. THIS WAS BEGUN ON SEPTEMBER 1 LAST YEAR AND IS NOW IN AN ADVANCED STAGE.

PHASE II IS THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE NEW COMPUTERISED SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING THE DATA. MR. WERBELL IS EXPECTED TO COME TO HONG KONG AGAIN THIS AUGUST TO HELP CARRY OUT THIS PHASE OF THE PLAN.

ADDITIONAL STAFF TO OPERATE THE NEW SYSTEM, INCLUDING A STATISTICAL OFFICER WHO IS EXPECTED TO SPECIALISE IN COLLECTING AND INTERPRETING DRUG STATISTICS AND EXPENDITURE ON COMMERCIAL COMPUTER TIME, HAVE BEEN APPROVED RECENTLY BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

THE FIRST COMPUTER PRINT-OUT OF THE REVAMPED REGISTRY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR.

IT WILL REVEAL, AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LOCAL ADDICT POPULATION, SUCH AS THE AGE GROUPS OF ADDICTS, RATIO OF MALES TO FEMALES, WHETHER ANY SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER

OF THEM ARE SWITCHING TO SYNTHETIC DRUGS AS A RESULT OF THE CRACK- DOWN ON HEROIN AND OPIUM SUPPLIES, AND WHETHER DRUG ABUSE IS SPREADING TO PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN AREAS.

SUCH INFORMATION WILL BE EXTREMELY USEFUL IN EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GOVERNMENT'S ANTI-NARCOTICS POLICIES (CURRENTLY COSTING APPROXIMATELY $40 MILLION A YEAR), AND IN IDENTIFYING AREAS IN WHICH CHANGES OF POLICY OR EMPHASIS MAY BE NEEDED.

/AS WITH .........