XN000022-1988-10-16 — Page 8

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1988

7

-

SURVEY TO ASSESS PUBLIC AWARENESS ON ANTI-DRUG ACTIVITIES

THE NARCOTICS DIVISION OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT IS то CONDUCT A SURVEY IN MID-1989 TO ASSESS PUBLIC AWARENESS OF ANTI-DRUG ACTIVITIES IN ORDER TO DRAW UP MORE EFFECTIVE MEASURES IN EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY.

PREVENTIVE

EXECUTIVE

THIS WAS DISCLOSED TODAY (SUNDAY) BY A MEMBER OF THE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, MISS MARIA TAM WAI-CHU, WHEN SHE OFFICIATED AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE ANTI-DRUG WEEK '88 AT LEI YUE MUN PARK HOLIDAY VILLAGE IN CHAI WAN.

SHE SAID : "THE SURVEY WILL SEEK TO COLLECT PUBLIC VIEWS ON THE EXISTING ANTI-DRUG PUBLICITY ITEMS, SUCH AS POSTERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST, COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES AND TELEPHONE HOTLINE, AND TO GAUGE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF TREATMENT INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARDS DRUGS.

"STAFF OF THE NARCOTICS DIVISION WILL INTERVIEW 2,000 HOUSEHOLDS SELECTED FROM 1.5 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS IN THE TERRITORY.

"THE RESPONDENTS WILL BE AGED BETWEEN 11 AND 65 SHE ADDED.

I

MISS TAM, WHO BELIEVED THE SAYING "PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE" SAID PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY WERE INDISPENSABLE ΤΟ ERADICATE THE DRUG PROBLEM SUCCESSFULLY.

"IN VIEW OF THIS, THE GOVERNMENT SPENDS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR, MOBILISING ENORMOUS MANPOWER AND RESOURCES TO ORGANISE OR CO-ORGANISE VARIOUS PUBLICITY ACTIVITIES TO SPREAD ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE.

T+

SHE STRESSED THAT PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY WERE LONG- TERM HARD WORK, THE RESULT OF WHICH COULD BE FELT ONLY AFTER A SUSTAINED PERIOD OF TIME.

MISS TAM ALSO PRAISED THE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN ANTI-DRUG WORK IN HONG KONG IN RECENT YEARS WHICH HAD WON ACCLAIM BOTH LOCALLY AND OVERSEAS.

JOINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) DR GERALD CHOA; AND THE COMMISSIONER FOR

+

NARCOTICS, MR GARETH MULLOY, MISS TAM SMASHED THREE DRUG MODELS AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, SYMBOLISING AN JOINT EFFORT AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE.

+

HIGHLIGHT AWARENESS ABUSE OF

THE ANTI-DRUG WEEK 88, ORGANISED BY THE ACAN AS THE OF THIS YEAR'S PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN, AIMS AT AROUSING PUBLIC OF THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF DRUG ABUSE, PARTICULARLY THE PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS, SO AS TO DRAW THE YOUTHS' ATTENTION AND ΤΟ ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO CARE MORE ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN TO SAVE THEM FROM FALLING PREY.

/THE FAMILY