XN000022-1986-09-04 — Page 9

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1986

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FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS PAYING OFF

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THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) WAS TOLD TODA: (THURSDAY) THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEWLY REPORTED TO BE INVOLVED IN DRUGS DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1986, THE LOWEST HALF-YEARLY FIGURE IN FIVE YEARS.

AT THE COMMITTEE'S 61ST MEETING, ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR ARCOTICS, MRS AGNES ALLCOCK, REPORTED THAT THERE WAS A DECREASE OF 20.3 PER CENT - FROM 1 750 TO 1 394 - IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS NEWLY REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE (CRDA) IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1986 COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 1985.

THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED YOUNG PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 DECREASED BY 23.9 PER CENT, FROM 489 TO 372.

MRS ALLCOCK ALSO POINTED OUT THAT A TOTAL OF 6 289 PERSONS MERE PROSECUTED FOR DANGEROUS DRUGS OFFENCES IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1986. AN INCREASE OF SEVEN PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

+HOWEVER, PROSECUTIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 SHOWED A DECREASE OF 11.9 PER CENT, FROM 588 TO 518, SHE ADDED.

WITH REGARD TO DRUG SEIZURES, MRS ALLCOCK SAID THAT DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 1986. 250 KILOGRAMS OF ILLICIT OPIATES. MAINLY NO. 3 AND NO. 4 HEROIN, 71 KILOGRAMS OF CANNABIS AND CANNABIS RESIN, 33.5 KILOGRAMS OF METHAQUALONE POWDER AND 132 731 MANDRAX TABLETS WERE SEIZED.

+ THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF METHAQUALONE SEIZED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1986 WAS MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES THE AMOUNT SEIZED IN THE WHOLE YEAR OF 1985, + SHE SAID.

THE MEETING ALSO NOTED THAT ADMISSION OF DRUG ADDICTS TO TREATMENT PROGRAMMES, ESPECIALLY YOUNG ADDICTS, IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1986 DECREASED BY SIX PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR WHILE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS UNDER TREATMENT AND AFTERCARE INCREASED.

MAGAZINE MAN IS MILLIONTH HP PAVILION VISITOR

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A TORONTO MAGAZINE EMPLOYEE, MR MICHAEL HAY, BECAME THE ONE-MILLIONTH VISITOR TO PASS THROUGH THE GATES OF THE HONG KONG PAVILION AT EXPO IN CANADA YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) MORNING.

AS MR HAY, HIS WIFE AND 14-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER CAME OUT OF THE THEATRE IN THE PAVILION, THEY WERE PRESENTED WITH A SET OF SOUVENIRS BY THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, MR EDWARD HUNG.

THESE INCLUDED