XN000022-1978-10-21 — Page 5

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1978

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ALTOGETHER, 2,296 PEOPLE WERE PROSECUTED FOR SERIOUS DRUG OFFENCES SUCH AS MANUFACTUR ING AND TRAFFICKING. AMONG THEM WERE 55 HIGH-LEVEL TRAFFICKERS COMPRISING 10 SYNDICATE HEADS OR ASSISTANT HEADS, THREE MAJOR BROKERS, 14 MAJOR DISTRIBUTORS, SIX HEROIN CHEMISTS, 11 DRUG STORE-KEEPERS, TWO COURIERS AND NINE INDEPENDENT OPERATORS.

THE REPORT ALSO MENTIONED THAT COMPARED WITH TWO YEARS AGO, PEOPLE IN HONG KONG NOW HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DRUG PROBLEM AND THE IR ATTITUDES TO IT WERE BECOMING MORE POSITIVE AND RESPONSIVE, MAINLY AS A RESULT OF INTENSIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS.

IT SAID THAT A SURVEY CONDUCTED AFTER AN INTENSIVE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN IN SHAM SHUI PO IN LATE 1977 INDICATED THAT THE CAMPAIGN REACHED A BROADER SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE”.

THIS COULD EQUALLY BE SAID OF THE WHOLE PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY EFFORT IN 1977, THE REPORT SAID.

ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS, COMBINED WITH INCREASED CO-OPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND OVERSEAS COUNTRIES IN ACTION AGAINST DRUGS, MEAN THAT HONG KONG HAS NOT ONLY CONTAINED ITS DRUG PROBLEM BUT IS MAKING INROADS IN SOME VITAL AREAS SUCH AS DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG ADDICTS, THE REPORT CONCLUDED.

THE CHAIRMAN OF ACAN, SIR ALBERT RODRIGUES, SAID IN THE FOREWORD OF THE REPORT THAT TO GET MEANINGFUL RESULTS, THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF ALL PROGRAMMES HAD TO BE ACCEPTED BY THOSE INVOLVED, AND CO-OPERATION BUILT-UP BETWEEN THEM.

+1977 PROVIDES A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED BY SUCH AN APPROACH, HE SAID.

THE 112-PAGE REPORT, ILLUSTRATED WITH COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHS IS PUBLISHED IN SEPARATE ENGLISH AND CHINESE VERSIONS. IT GIVES A COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT OF ALL DEVELOPMENTS OF HONG KONG'S ANTI-NARCOTICS PROGRAMMES DURING THE YEAR.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO BUY COPIES OF THE REPORT CAN OBTAIN THEM AT $8.50 A COPY FROM THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE, G.P.O. BUILDING, CONNAUGHT PLACE, CENTRAL.

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