XN000022-1979-10-13 — Page 3

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1979

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IN THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS, MORE THAN 700 SCHOOLS, MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS IN MONG KOK WILL JOIN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND VOLUNTARY AGENCIES TO BRING THE ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE TO ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THIS DISTRICT, AND PARTICULARLY TO ITS YOUNG PEOPLE, AND TO DEMONSTRATE THE IR SOLIDARITY AGAINST THIS DESTRUCTIVE MENACE OF DRUG ABUSE.

THE MONG KOK CITY DISTRICT IS ONE OF THE MOST DENSELY POPULATED AREAS IN THE WORLD. ABOUT 250 000 PEOPLE LIVE IN A SMALL AREA OF UNDER ONE-AND-A-HALF SQUARE KILOMETRE, WHICH GIVES A DENSITY OF ALMOST 170 000 PEOPLE PER SQUARE KILOMETRE. THIS COMPARES WITH AN OVERALL DENSITY PER SQUARE KILOMETRE OF 300 IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, 23 IN THE UNITED STATES AND TWO IN CANADA.

+THIS HIGH-DENSITY LIVING INEVITABLY BRINGS CONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS TO MANY PARENTAL CONTROL OVER CHILDREN MAY SOMETIMES BE LOOSENED, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND MUTUAL SUPPORT BETWEEN FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS MAY OFTEN BE DISCOURAGED. EFFECTS ARE OFTEN ACCENTED WHEN RESIDENTS HAVE TO SHARE COMMON FACILITIES AND LIMITED RESOURCES WITH EACH OTHER.

SUCH

+WHILST THE MAJORITY HAVE ADOPTED TO OUR CONGESTED ENVIRONMENT, SOME DEVELOP ANTI-SOCIAL HABITS, OR TURN TO CRIME OR DRUGS TO RELIEVE THE FRUSTRATION IN THEIR LIVES.

+ IT IS ENCOURAGING TO KNOW THAT, UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS, COMMUNITY LEADERS IN MONG KOK HAVE WORKED HARD OVER THE YEARS TO PROVIDE MORE OF THE COMMUNITY AND RECREATIONAL OUTLETS AND FACILITIES SO URGENTLY NEEDED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE DISTRICT, AND ESPECIALLY BY THE YOUNG.

THE IR SPONSORSHIP OF THIS CAMPAIGN, AND OF THE 80 EVENTS WHICH WILL BE CONNECTED WITH IT, SPEAKS WELL FOR THE IR TRADITION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE DATING BACK TO THE SHEK KIP MEI FIRE OF 1953,+ HE SAID.

SIR YUET-KEUNG SAID HE HOPED THIS BIGGEST CAMPAIGN EFFORT EVER ORGANISED IN MONG KOK WOULD DRIVE HOME THE MESSAGE OF DANGER OF DRUG ABUSE TO ALL LOCAL RESIDENTS, DISSUADE YOUNG PEOPLE FROM EVER EXPERIMENTING WITH DRUGS, AND ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO REPORT TO OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THE ACTIVITIES OF ANY DRUG TRAFFICKERS, PUSHERS OR MANUFACTURERS WHICH MIGHT COME TO THE IR NOTICE.

+ IN ADDITION, I TRUST THAT THE CAMPAIGN WILL INSPIRE A GREATER WILLINGNESS TO OFFER EMPLOYMENT AND OTHER FORMS OF PRACTICAL ASSISTANCE TO REHABILITATED ADDICTS AND TO THOSE WHO MAY BE AT RISK OF BECOMING ADDICTS BY REASON OF PERSONAL, SOCIAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS,+ SIR YUET-KEUNG SAID.

HE THANKED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MONG KOK DISTRICT ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN ORGANISING COMMITTEE, MR. HUNG WAI-MAN AND HIS COMMITTEE MEMBERS FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUG ABUSE.

THE OPENING CEREMONY WAS ATTENDED BY THE UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, MR. WONG LAM, THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR. E.I. LEE, THE CITY DISTRICT COMMISSIONER (WEST KOWLOON), MR. TONY EASON AND THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICER (MONG KOK), MISS REGINA LAU.

MORE THAN 10 000 LOCAL RESIDENTS AND STUDENTS ALSO ATTENDED THE OPENING CEREMONY WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A THREE-HOUR VARIETY SHOW, INCLUDING A MOCK BATTLE BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG REGIMENT (THE VOLUNTEERS), DRAGON AND LION DANCES, BAND PERFORMANCES, TELE-MATCH+ GAMES, AND SONG AND DANCE PERFORMANCES BY TOP TELEVISION STARS.

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