XN000022-1978-09-14 — Page 2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1978

DRUG PROBLEM IN HONG KONG IS CONTAINED

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A NEW COMPUTER RESEARCH PROGRAMME INDICATES THAT THE SPREAD OF NARCOTIC ADDICTION IN HONG KONG HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY CURTAILED,

THIS OBSERVATION WAS MADE IN THE FIRST ANALYSIS REPORT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S RE-ORGANISED AND COMPUTERISED CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ADDICTS.

DETAILS OF THE REPORT WERE PUBLISHED TODAY (THURSDAY) AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDED BY MR. E., LEE, COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, AND DR. ROBERT NEWMAN AND MR. BENT WERBELL, CONSULTANTS FUNDED BY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST IN THE RE-ORGANISATION AND OPERATION OF THE REGISTRY.

THE REPORT COVERS A 22-MONTH PERIOD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 1976 AND JUNE 30, 1978, DURING WHICH REPORTS ON 26,429 INDIVIDUAL ADDICTS WERE RECEIVED FROM VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ENGAGED EITHER IN ANTI-DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT OR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION WORK. A TOTAL OF 58,873 REPORTS WERE RECEIVED ON THESE ADDICTS, HALF OF WHOM WERE REPORTED ONLY ONCE, WITH THE OTHER HALF BEING REPORTED TWICE OR MORE.

OF THE 26,429 INDIVIDUALS, ONLY THREE PER CENT WERE AGED 19 OR UNDER.

THE REPORT SAYS THIS EXTREMELY SMALL PROPORTION OF TEENAGERS STRONGLY SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM OF NARCOTIC ADDICTION IN HONG KONG IS NOT ON THE INCREASE.

THE REASON, IT SAYS, IS THAT REPORTS FROM COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ARE CONSISTENT IN FINDING THAT AN INCREASE IN INCIDENCE OF ADDICTION OCCURS OVERWHELMINGLY AMONG THE YOUNGER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY- +THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT IN HONG KONG THE SITUATION WOULD BE DIFFERENT.+

OF THE REMAINING 97 PER CENT, THE LARGEST PROPORTION (32 PER CENT) APPEARED IN THE 20-29 AGE GROUP AND THE OTHER 65 PER CENT WERE DISTRIBUTED QUITE EVENLY ABOVE THE AGE OF 30.

ANOTHER ENCOURAGING INDICATION QUOTED IN THE REPORT IS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A DOWNWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF ADDICTS WHO ARE REPORTED TO THE REGISTRY FOR THE FIRST TIME. BY THE END OF THE 22-MONTH PERIOD OF ANALYSIS, NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF ALL THE REPORTED INDIVIDUALS WERE ALREADY KNOWN TO THE REGISTRY.

THE REPORT NOTES, HOWEVER, THAT ALTHOUGH WOMEN ADDICTS ACCOUNTED FOR ONLY FOUR PER CENT OF THE 26,429 INDIVIDUALS, THIS IS AN INCREASE WHEN COMPARED WITH ONLY 1.4 PER CENT AS REPORTED BY THE +OLD+ REGISTRY FOR THE PERIOD BETWEEN APRIL 1972 AND MARCH 1974.

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