XN000022-1981-11-10 — Page 4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1981

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COMMUNITY'S HELP NEEDED FOR ANTI-DRUG FIGHT

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EACH RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL OF THE COMMUNITY HAD A PART TO PLAY IN THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO COMBAT NARCOTICS PROBLEMS, THE COMMISSIONER OF CUSTOMS AND CONTROLS, MR DOUGLAS JORDAN SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

ADDRESSING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON EAST, MR JORDAN OUTLINED THE NATURE OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL DRUG PROBLEMS WHILE APPEALING TO THE COMMUNITY TO EXPOSE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN DRUG TRAFFICKING OR DRUG ADDICTION.

+THE INSIDIOUS AND CREEPING NATURE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM DOES NOT ALLOW ANY COMMUNITY TO TAKE AN INSULAR ATTITUDE. THE PROBLEM IS A WORLDWIDE ONE, ALTHOUGH ITS INCIDENCE AND NATURE VARIES FROM PLACE TO PLACE. HE SAID.

IN THE EAST AND IN HONG KONG PARTICULARLY, THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS IN THE OPIATES, NOTABLY HEROIN, WHILE IN THE WEST AND PARTICULARLY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND WESTERN EUROPE, HASHISH, MARIJUANA AND CANNABIS ARE THE PREDOMINENT PROBLEM, HE SAID.

+TO MY MIND, AND HAVE BEEN CONCERNED WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS, WE DO A DISSERVICE TO THE CONCEPT OF COMBATTING DRUGS IF WE DIFFÉRENTIATE TOO FREQUENTLY BETWEEN THE EFFECTS OF THE VARIOUS DRUGS.

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+CLEARLY HEROIN IS POTENTIALLY FAR MORE HARMFUL THAN MARIJUANA. BUT IN MANY PLACES IN THE WORLD THE TERMS 'SOFT DRUGS' AND 'HARD DRUGS ARE USED, AND FEAR BY THIS DIFFERENTIATION WE ENCOURAGE THE THOUGHT THAT THE SO-CALLED SOFT DRUGS HAVE NO DIRE CONSEQUENCES, HE SAID.

MR JORDAN SAID THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF UNKINDNESS OR OF BEING AN UNPLEASANT INFORMER IN EXPOSING SOMEONE DEALING IN DRUGS.

THERE WERE MANY +RELATIVELY SMALL FRY+ IN THE INTERNATIONAL DRUG SCENE WHO COLLECTIVELY MET THE DEMAND FOR NARCOTICS, HE SAID.

MR JORDAN EXPLAINED THAT DUE TO HEAVY AIR AND SEA TRAFFIC IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE CUSTOMS TO SEARCH EVERY PASSENGER AND CARGO WITHOUT CAUSING INORDINATE INCONVENIENCE AND SUBSTANTIAL DELAYS WHICH WOULD SERIOUSLY IMPEDE AND FRUSTRATE HONG KONG'S TRADE, INCLUDING THE TOURIST TRADE.

*WE THEREFORE ADOPT OTHER METHODS, PARTLY RELATED TO THE ABILITIES OF OUR STAFF TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL COURIERS OR DANGEROUS CARGOS AND SHIPS, BUT EQUALLY RELATED TO INVESTIGATIVE METHODS WHEREBY WE GENERATE A LARGE DEGREE OF INTELLIGENCE ON WHICH WE BASE SELECTIVE EXAMINATION AND OTHER INTERCEPTION, HE SAID.

HONG KONG'S