XN000022-1983-07-17 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 1983

MANY ENJOY ANTI-NARCOTICS CONCERT

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PERSUASION IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WEAPON IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE ABUSE OF NARCOTIC DRUGS, BOTH AT THE NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY LEVEL, MR KARL STUMPF, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS SAID AT THE OPENING OF THE ANTI-NARCOTICS EDUCATIONAL VARIETY SHOW HELD AT THE HONG KONG COLISEUM IN HUNG HOM TONIGHT (SUNDAY).

MR KARL STUMPF WAS READING FROM THE SPEECH WHICH THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE WAS TO HAVE GIVEN AT THE OPENING OF THE SHOW. SIR PHILIP WAS INDISPOSED AND WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE FUNCTION.

BEYOND THE NATIONAL OR COMMUNITY LEVEL, MR STUMPF SAID, +IT IS A PROBLEM THAT CANNOT BE SOLVED BY ONE COMMUNITY OR ONE GOVERNMENT ALONE, A UNITED INTERNATIONAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED.+

HE SAID THAT IT WAS WIDELY RECOGNISED THAT THE COMMUNITY AND GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WERE PLAYING THE IR PART IN THIS INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO COMBAT THE EVIL.

TO BACK-UP THIS REMARK, MR STUMPF SAID, +ADDICTS ARE COMING FOR TREATMENT, THE AMOUNT OF ILLICIT DRUGS SEIZED IS GROWING, AND THE NUMBER OF TRAFFICKERS BROUGHT TO JUSTICE IS INCREASING.+

+BUT THE FACT THAT BECAUSE OF THE DEVIOUS AND EVER-CHANGING METHODS ADOPTED BY DRUG SMUGGLERS, THE SUPPLY OF ILLICIT DRUGS TO THE MARKET PERSISTS, HE SAID.

IT WAS THEREFORE VERY IMPORTANT, HE SAID, TO HELP YOUNGSTERS TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION OF USING DRUGS THROUGH PREVENTIVE EDUCATION.

HE SAID THIS YEAR'S TERRITORY-WIDE ANTI-NARCOTICS CAMPAIGN WAS TO SPREAD THE MESSAGE THAT +DRUGS MEAN A LIVING DEATH+.

MR STUMPF ADDED THAT APART FROM HAVING TERRITORY-WIDE AND DISTRICT CAMPAIGNS, A SPECIAL TEAM WAS BEING FORMED ON THE ADVICE OF THE ACAN TO GET ACROSS THIS MESSAGE TO ALL LOCAL STUDENTS.

+GOOD HEALTH, HE SAID, IS A PRICELES3 GIFT, AND FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO SACRIFICE THEIR HEALTH AND THE IR FUTURE BY TAKING DRUGS IS A TRAGEDY.+

WHEN YOUNGSTERS ARE FACED WITH TEMPTATION OF DRUGS, THEY HAVE A CHOICE.

/+FIR CHOICE