XN000022-1979-01-20 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 1979

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FAMILY AND SCHOOL PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE IN DRUG PREVENTION

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THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. KENNETH TOPLEY SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) THAT FAMILY AND SCHOOL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE PREVENTION OF DRUG ABUSE.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF AN INTER-SCHOOL DRUG EDUCATION DISPLAY EXHIBITION AT THE CITY HALL, MR. TOPLEY SAID IF A CHILD CAN FIND AT HOME SECURITY AND WARMTH, PARENTAL LOVE AND SOUND GUIDANCE, HE WILL GROW UP NORMALLY, BOTH PHYSICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY.

+HIS CHANCE OF HAVING TO RELY ON DRUGS AS A MEANS OF ESCAPE FROM REALITY WILL, IN ANYWAY, BE LESS THAN A CHILD WHO IS BROUGHT UP IN A POOR FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, HE SAID.

AS FOR THE SCHOOLS, MR. TOPLEY SAID, THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HAVE IN RECENT YEARS MADE AVAILABLE A LARGE QUANTITY OF REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR THEM. THESE INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE TEACHING KIT ON DRUG EDUCATION, WHICH WAS DISTRIBUTED TO ALL SECONDARY SCHOOLS RECENTLY.

HE ADDED THAT SCHOOLS SHOULD ALSO HELP THE STUDENTS DEVELOP A HEALTHY PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE SO THAT THEY WILL NOT TRY TO ESCAPE FROM REALITY BY RESORTING TO VARIOUS KINDS OF ABUSE, PARTICULARLY DRUG ABUSE, WHICH IS A SIGN OF COWARD ICE AND IRRESPONSIBILITY,

MR. TOPLEY SAID ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS OF DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION IS TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THE YOUNG PEOPLE, TO UNDERSTAND AND ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DRUGS SO THAT THEY WILL NOT TRY IT OUT OF IGNORANCE.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE OPENING, MR. KARL STUMPF, THE CHAIRMAN OF ACAN'S PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY SUB-COMMITTEE, SAID THE EXHIBITION SHOWS THE FULL ACCORD OF TEACHERS, STUDENTS ́AND PARENTS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HONG KONG'S DRUG PROBLEM.

+ONLY THROUGH THE PARTICIPATION OF OUR COMMUNITY AS AN ENTITY, THE LEADERSHIP OF TEACHERS AND PARENTS, CAN WE HOPE TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE UNREAL AND DANGEROUS WORLD OF DRUGS TO AN ATTITUDE WHICH ASSISTS THEM TO FACE REALITY AND TO MAKE HEALTHY DECISIONS,+ MR. STUMPF SAID.

THE 14 DISPLAYS AT THE EXHIBITION JOINTLY ORGANISED BY ACAN AND EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ARE THE WINNING ENTRIES OF A COMPETITION HELD IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, A TOTAL OF 32 SECONDARY SCHOOLS TOOK PART IN THE COMPETITION.

THE COMPETITION WAS AIMED AT WIDENING STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE OF THE SERIOUS SOCIAL EVIL OF DRUG ADDICTION AND INCREASING THE IR ALERTNESS AGAINST IT.

THE FIRST PRIZE WENT TO HONG KONG SZE YAP COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION WONG TAI SHAN MEMORIAL COLLEGE, THE SECOND TO CHAN SUI KI (LA SALLE) COLLEGE AND THE THIRD TO ST. ROSE OF LIMA'S SCHOOL AND SHAUKIWAN GOVERNMENT TECHNICAL SCHOOL.

/ALSO ON.....