XN000022-1987-09-24 — Page 9

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"THE PILOT PROJECT WILL BE EVALUATED 18 MONTHS AFTER ITS OPERATION AND THE TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION SUB-COMMITTEE OF ACAN WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORING THE PROGRESS," MR MULLOY SAID.

REVIEWING THE DRUG SITUATION, MR MULLOY INFORMED THE MEETING THAT THE DOWNWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS NEWLY REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE WHICH BEGAN IN 1983 CONTINUED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1987.

10.5

THE NUMBER OF PERSONS OF ALL AGES NEWLY REPORTED DECREASED BY PER CENT, FROM 1,442 TO 1,290, AS COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1986.

THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED YOUNG PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF HOWEVER INCREASED BY NINE PER CENT FROM 387 TO 422.

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"THIS INCREASE IS A REFLECTION OF THE INCREASE IN REPORTS BY YOUTH OUTREACHING SOCIAL WORK TEAMS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1987.

"MOST OF THE CASES ARE OF THE KIND WITH WHICH THE CENTRE WILL DEAL," HE SAID.

COUNSELLING

DRUG AND

MEANWHILE, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED FOR ALL OFFENCES DROPPED BY 10.6 PER CENT FROM 6,288 TO 5,621 PROSECUTIONS OF YOUNG PERSONS UNDER 21 ALSO DECREASED FROM 519 TO 412, REPRESENTING A DROP OF 20.6 PER CENT.

"NEVERTHELESS, THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED FOR MAJOR DRUG OFFENCES SLIGHTLY INCREASED BY 5.9 PER CENT FROM 2,641 TO ADDED.

2,798," HE

DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 1987 POLICE AND CUSTOMS OFFICERS SEIZED A TOTAL OF 222 KILOGRAMS OF ILLICIT OPIATES, MAINLY NO. 3 HEROIN,

IN ADDITION, A TOTAL OF 317 KILOGRAMS OF CANNABIS WERE SEIZED DURING THIS PERIOD. THIS WAS SIX-FOLD THE TOTAL QUANTITY FOUND IN THE WHOLE YEAR OF 1986,

THE

ON THE OTHER HAND, THE NUMBER OF MANDRAX TABLETS SEIZED IN FIRST HALF OF 1987 CAME DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY TO 39,669 TABLETS COMPARED WITH A TOTAL OF 273,745 TABLETS LAST YEAR.

MR MULLOY NOTED THAT ANTI-NARCOTICS PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN CONTINUED UNABATED THROUGH THE MEDIA, POSTERS AND OTHER MEANS AND THROUGH DISTRICT CAMPAIGNS AND SCHOOL TALKS.

"ONE NEW DEPARTURE WAS THE NARCOTICS DIVISION'S COOPERATION WITH THE CHUNG YING THEATRE COMPANY IN THE PRODUCTION OF A PLAY ON THE THEME OF ANTI-DRUG ABUSE," HE SAID.

/*I SAW