XN000022-1988-10-22 — Page 2

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1988

1

FEWER DRUG ADDICTS NEWLY REPORTED

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THE DOWNWARD TREND IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS NEWLY REPORTED TO THE GOVERNMENT CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE

A TREND WHICH STARTED IN 1984 CONTINUED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR.

THE COMMISSIONER FOR NARCOTICS, MR GARETH MULLOY, SAID THIS WHEN OFFICIATING AT THE PRIZE-PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE SUBSTANCES DRAMA COMPETITION THIS (SATURDAY)

ANTI-PSYCHOTROPIC

AFTERNOON.

MR MULLOY

SAID THE NUMBER OF PERSONS OF ALL AGES NEWLY REPORTED DROPPED BY 17.8 PER CENT FROM 1,335 TO 1,098, COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD IN 1987.

"THE NUMBER OF NEWLY REPORTED YOUNG PERSONS AGED UNDER 21 DECREASED BY 21.3 PER CENT, FROM 432 TO 340," HE ADDED.

ALSO

TURNING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, MR MULLOY SAID THAT SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES OF DRUGS HAD BEEN SEIZED AS A RESULT OF THE CONTINUAL EFFORTS OF THE POLICE AND THE CUSTOMS.

HE SAID 401 KILOGRAMS OF NO.3 HEROIN HAD BEEN SEIZED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR.

"THIS IS MORE THAN THE TOTAL QUANTITY SEIZED IN THE WHOLE YEAR OF 1987, WHICH TOTALLED 358 KILOGRAMS, HE SAID.

"

THE SOME

"IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, ABOUT HALF OF 5,000 MANDRAX TABLETS SEIZED WERE FAKE, INDICATING THAT THIS PROBLEM IS PROBABLY FADING, HE ADDED.

MR MULLOY SAID DURING THE PERIOD THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED FOR ALL DRUG OFFENCES INCREASED SLIGHTLY, BY 2.6 PER CENT TO 5,765 PERSONS.

HOWEVER, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF 30.5 PER CENT, FROM 2,798 TO 3,651, IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PROSECUTED FOR MAJOR DRUG OFFENCES.

"CONSULTATION ON THE DRUG TRAFFICKING BILL 1988 IS REACHING ITS FINAL STAGES.

(RECOVERY OF PROCEEDS)

"I BELIEVE, IF PASSED, THOSE NEW POWERS WILL DEAL BLOW TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS, MR MULLOY SAID.

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A SEVERE

HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY EFFORTS OF THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS (ACAN) HAD HAD THEIR EFFECT IN THE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE IN RECENT YEARS WHICH WAS IN CONTRAST TO THE WORLD-WIDE TREND.

/THE COMMISSIONER