XN000022-1988-03-22 — Page 11

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 1988

THE

"THE DOWNWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS NEWLY REPORTED ΤΟ CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE, WHICH HAD BEGUN IN 1984,

CONTINUED.

"THE NUMBER OF PERSONS OF ALL AGES NEWLY REPORTED DECREASED BY 13.5 PER CENT, FROM 2,747 TO 2,377, AS COMPARED WITH 1986.

"THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED YOUNG PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 DROPPED BY 10.5 PER CENT, FROM 788 TO 705.

"THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED FOR ALL DECREASED BY 9.9 PER CENT, FROM 12,494 TO 11,252.

DRUG OFFENCES

"PROSECUTION OF YOUNG PERSONS AGED UNDER 21 ALSO SHOWED A DECREASE FROM 1,035 TO 772, REPRESENTING A FALL OF 25.4 PER CENT.

"THERE WAS, HOWEVER, A SLIGHT INCREASE OF 1.6 PER CENT, FROM 5,745 TO 5,839, IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED FOR MAJOR DRUG OFFENCES," MR MULLOY SAID.

745

HE SAID THE POLICE AND CUSTOMS LAST YEAR SEIZED A TOTAL OF KILOGRAMS OF ILLICIT OPIATES, AGAINST 649 KILOGRAMS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

"DURING THE YEAR, WHILST THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE SEIZURE OF NO. 4 HEROIN AND CANNABIS, THE AMOUNT OF MANDRAX TABLETS SEIZED DECREASED CONSIDERABLY TO 73,899 FROM 273,745 IN 1986.

"THIS MAY BE ATTRIBUTED ΤΟ CHINA'S NEW CONTROLS ON THE MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF MANDRAX.

THE COMMISSIONER ADDED THAT THE DECLINE IN BOTH THE PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF DRUG ABUSE LAST YEAR ALSO SUGGESTED THAT HONG KONG'S INTEGRATED POLICY FOR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION AS WELL PREVENTIVE EDUCATION WERE CONTINUING TO SHOW GOOD RESULTS.

AS

"IT IS HEARTENING TO NOTE THAT HONG KONG IS GOING AGAINST THE WORLD TREND IN DRUG ABUSE."

ABOUT THE PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES FOR THE COMING FINANCIAL YEAR, MR MULLOY NOTED THAT EMPHASIS WOULD BE PLACED ON THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES, SUCH A9 MANDRAX AND CANNABIS, AND AROUSING PARENTAL AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT

IN PREVENTING DRUG ABUSE.

"PUBLICITY WILL BE CARRIED OUT

ON AN UNDIMINISHED SCALE THROUGH THE ELECTRONIC AND PRINTED MEDIA, DISPLAYS AT POPULAR VENUES, DISTRICT CAMPAIGNS AND VARIOUS KINDS OF EDUCATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES.

OF

"AN ANTI-DRUG WEEK IS PLANNED TO BE HELD IN THE THIRD WEEK OCTOBER TO HIGHLIGHT THE YEAR'S PROGRAMMES SO AS TO CREATE MAXIMUM IMPACT AND AWARENESS.

門

HOWEVER, HE CONCLUDED THAT WE SHOULD PROBLEM WHICH WAS STILL THE ABUSE OF HEROIN.

NOT NEGLECT THE MAIN

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