XN000022-1992-11-04 — Page 18

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1992

DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUTHS IN HK LESS SERIOUS

THERE

ARE INDICATIONS, BASED ON ANECDOTAL INFORMATION, THAT DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN HONG KONG IS A LESS SERIOUS PROBLEM THAN ELSEWHERE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR IAN STRACHAN, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

POSSIBLE TO MAKE SOUTH EAST ASIAN PLACES WERE NOT

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON SELINA CHOW IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR STRACHAN SAID IT WAS NOT COMPARISONS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND NEIGHBOURING CITIES, BECAUSE STATISTICS ON DRUG ABUSE IN THESE READILY AVAILABLE.

HE ALSO SAID IT WAS DIFFICULT TO ASSESS THE THE

EDUCATIONAL MEASURES TO PROMOTE GOVERNMENT'S YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE HARM OF DRUG ABUSE.

THE

EFFECTIVENESS OF OF AWARENESS

"HOWEVER, WE REGULARLY SEEK FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS AND PUPILS AND THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE MESSAGE IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD, HE SAID.

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HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT PAID PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER 21.

TWO

ON

DATA UNDERWAY.

MR

SCHOOL SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED IN 1987 AND 1990 TO COLLECT DRUG ABUSE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. A THIRD SURVEY IS CURRENTLY

STRACHAN ALSO SAID A PILOT SCHEME HAD BEGUN TO EXTEND DRUG EDUCATION TALKS TO PRIMARY 6 STUDENTS. AT PRESENT, THESE TALKS ARE HELD IN ALL SECONDARY SCHOOLS, BOYS AND GIRLS HOMES AND YOUTH ORGANISATIONS.

"WE ARE ALSO ARRANGING TALKS ON DRUG MATTERS FOR BOTH PARENTS THE AND CHILDREN TOGETHER. A NUMBER OF TALKS HAVE BEEN ORGANISED, BUT RESPONSE, SO FAR, HAS BEEN DISAPPOINTING," HE SAID.

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO PERSEVERE WITH THESE TALKS BECAUSE EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE HONG KONG SUGGESTED THAT TALKS WHICH INVOLVED BOTH PARENTS AND CHILDREN HAD A MUCH GREATER IMPACT THAN THOSE WHICH INVOLVED ONLY ONE OR THE OTHER.

HE

TALKS ALSO SAID PLANS ARE AFOOT TO CONDUCT A SERIES OF TEACHER TRAINING COLLEGES.

IN

"OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO ENCOURAGE TEACHERS TO DEAL WITH DRUG ISSUES DURING NORMAL LESSONS," HE SAID.

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