XN000022-1984-06-10 — Page 9

8

SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 1984

+THEY COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND INCLUDE NURSES, TEACHERS, CLERKS, ENGINEERS, SURVEYORS AND CUSTOMS AND EXCISE OFFICERS. BUT THEY HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON: THEY ARE ALL INDUSTRIOUS YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOLLOWED HEALTHY AND MEANINGFUL PURSUITS IN LIFE,+ MR TONG SAID.

+ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FEATURE IS THAT THEY ARE OF THE SAME AGE LEVEL AS THE YOUTHS AT RISK. THEY SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE AND CAN THUS SPREAD THE ANTI-NARCOTICS MESSAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY, HE ADDED.

SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT, THE VOLUNTEER GROUP HAS HELPED IN MORE THAN 80 ANTI-NARCOTICS ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING CONCERTS, SPORTS MEETS, SEMINARS AND TRAINING CAMPS, ALL INVOLVING EXTENSIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY EFFORTS AGAINST DRUG ABUSE AND TRAFFICKING.

+THEIR ASSISTANCE AND CONTRIBUTION TO THESE CAMPAIGNS HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS AND INVALUABLE,+ MR TONG SAID.

TO ASSIST THE VOLUNTEERS IN ANTI-NARCOTICS WORK, TRAINING PROGRAMMES SUCH AS SEMINARS, TALKS AND CAMPS ARE ORGANISED TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE NECESSARY INFORMATION AND SKILLS.

+THE VOLUNTEERS CAN ALSO DEVELOP THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS AND INNOVATION AS THEY ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE INITIATIVE IN PERFORMING THEIR DUTIES,+ MR TONG SAID.

AS AN EXAMPLE, HE CITED THE

ANTI-NARCOTICS CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

1983+, INITIATED AND ORGANISED BY THE VOLUNTEER GROUP.

+THIS TWO-MONTH PROJECT CONSISTED OF A SERIES OF COMPETITIONS, INCLUDING BOOKMARK AND SLOGAN DESIGN, DRAMA SCRIPT WRITING, LYRIC WRITING, ON-THE-SPOT DRAWING AND A PŘIZE-GIVING CEREMONY-CUM- VAR IETY SHOW, THROUGH WHICH THE MESSAGE OF 'STRIVE FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE, DON'T TAKE DRUGS' WAS SPREAD TO THE PUBLIC, MR TONG SAID.

PARENT EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE MAIN THEMES OF THIS YEAR'S ANTI-NARCOTICS ACTIVITIES, AND VOLUNTEERS ARE EXPECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE EVENTS.

SELF-INITIATED PROJECTS INCLUDE THE PRODUCTION OF AN ANTI NARCOTICS STORY IN SLIDES AND A SWIMMING GALA FOR FACTORY WORKERS.

+THE VOLUNTEERS NOW HAVE A CLUB HOUSE AT VICTORIA BARRACKS, WHERE THEY MEET ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS TO DISCUSS FORTHCOMING ACTIVITIES AND TO WORK OUT PROBLEMS UNDER OUR GUIDANCE,+ MR TONG SAID.

THE PROJECTS ARE MOSTLY FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT, WITH OCCASIONAL SPONSORSHIP FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

19