XN000022-1986-09-27 — Page 4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1986

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ANTI-NARCOTICS ROLE FOR SOCIAL WORKERS VITAL

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SOCIAL WORKERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WORKING WITH YOUTHS, HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST DRUG ABUSE.

NOT ONLY WERE THEY ABLE TO STEER YOUTHS AWAY FROM DRUGS, BUT WERE ALSO IN A POSITION TO HELP REHABILITATED DRUG ADDICTS RE-INTEGRATE INTO SOCIETY.

UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DR CHIU HIN-KWONG, SAID THIS TODAY (SATURDAY) WHEN ADDRESSING MORE THAN 80 SOCIAL WORKERS WHO ATTENDED A HALF-DAY SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE NARCOTICS DIVISION AND THE COMMITTEE ON DRUG ABUSE OF THE HONG KONG COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE.

THE SEMINAR, THE FOURTH OF ITS KIND, WAS ORGANISED TO ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NARCOTICS, TO SERVE AS A CHANNEL WITH CLOSE LIAISON BETWEEN THE NARCOTICS DIVISION AND SOCIAL WORKERS AND TO PROVIDE THEM WITH UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON THE OVERALL DRUG SITUATION - THE TYPES OF DRUGS COMMONLY USED AND THE TREATMENT FACILITIES AVAILABLE.

DR CHIU CALLED ON SOCIAL WORKERS TO BE BETTER EQUIPPED WITH IN-DEPTH INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS ROLE.

+A SEMINAR OF THIS KIND WILL CERTAINLY TAKE YOU A STEP FURTHER IN THIS RESPECT SO THAT YOU CAN JOIN FORCES WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS AND THE PUBLIC IN COMBATING THE DRUG MENACE, HE SAID.

THE SEMINAR, ENTITLED +DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS+, FOCUSSED ON THE PSYCHOLOGY OF YOUNG DRUG ABUSERS, AS SUCH KNOWLEDGE WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BENEFIT SOCIAL WORKERS DEALING WITH THOSE HAVING A DRUG PROBLEM.

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST OF THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MR ROBERT TANG, ALSO SPOKE ON THIS SUBJECT AND PRESENTED A CASE STORY FOR GROUP DISCUSSION.

OTHER SPEAKERS AT THE SEMINAR INCLUDED MR RICHARD TANG OF THE NARCOTICS BUREAU, ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE, MR SIMON YEUNG OF THE NARCOTICS DIVISION, DR M.B. ALI OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND MISS TANG YIN-PING OF THE BOYS' AND GIRLS' CLUB ASSOCIATION.

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