XN000022-1993-06-17 — Page 7

THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1993

THE PROPORTION OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE FULL-TIME COURSE OF TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, AND REPORTED TO HAVE EVER ABUSED PAYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES WAS 2.7 PER CENT. THE CORRESPONDING FIGURE TN THE 1990 BURVEY RESULTS WAS 2.5 PER CENT.

OF THOSE ENROLLED IN FULL-TIME COURSES, 0.4 PER CENT REPORTED TO HAVE EVER ABUSED HEROIN.

AGAIN, THE PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS REPORTED TO HAVE ABUSRD HEROIN AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES IN THE FOUR WEEKS PRECEDING THE SURVEY WERE MUCH LOWER, AT 0.1 PER CENT AND 0.6 PER CENT RESPECTIVELY.

THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS REPORTED TO HAVE EVER ABUSED PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES WAS 8.1 PER CENT, THE CORRESPONDING RATE IN 1990 WAS 5.3 PER CENT. 1.6 PER CENT OF STUDENTS REPORTED TO HAVE EVER ABUSED HEROIN.

NEVERTHELESS ONLY 0.6 PER CENT AND 2.4 PER CENT OF THE STUDENTS REPORTED TO HAVE ABUSED HEROIN AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES RESPECTIVELY IN THE FOUR WEEKS PRECEDING THE SURVEY,

THE COMMON AGES OF THOSE STUDENTS IN CHINESE-SPEAKING AND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS REPORTED TO HAVE ABUSED HEROIN OR PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES WERE BETWEEN 14 AND 16.

FOR TECHNICAL INSTITUTES, THE MAJORITY OF HEROIN OR PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCE ABUSERS WERE MALE, AND THEIR COMMON AGES WERE BETWEEN 16 AND 18.

AND

THE MAIN REPORTED REASONS FOR HEROIN OR PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCE

WERE CURIOSITY, FOLLOWED BOREDOM/DEPRESSION.

ABUSE

BY

PEER

INFLUENCE

THE LATEST SURVEY ALSO COVERED THE USE OF ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE REPORTED PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS EVER SMOKED RANGED FROM 25.6 PER CENT TO 39.0 PER CENT.

THE RELEVANT PERCENTAGES FOR ALCOHOL (INCLUDING BEER, WINE SPIRITS) RANGE FROM 73.1 PER CENT TO 88.3 PER CENT,

AND

MORE DETAILED ANALYSES WILL BE INCLUDED IN A REPORT OF 1992 SURVEY TO BE PUBLISHED IN SEPTEMEER 1993.

THE

PROF

COMMENTING ON THE SURVEY FINDINGS, THE CHAIRMAN OF ACAN, CN CHEN, SAID THE SURVEY HAD PROVIDED A CLEARER INDICATION OF THE DRUG PROBLEMS AMONG STUDENTS.

"TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM, ACAN CONSIDERED AT ITS MEETING THIS AFTERNOON THAT DEMAND REDUCTION EFFORTS, PARTICULARLY AIMED AT YOUNGSTERS, SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED," HE ADDED.

IN So FAR AS TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION SERVICES ARE CONCERNED, THE SOCIETY FOR THE AID AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ABUSERS AND OTHER VOLUNTARY AGENCIES HAVE BEEN CONSULTED ON DESIGNATING SPECIAL FACILITIES FOR YOUNG OPIATE DRUG ABUSERS.

THEY WILL ALSO BE CONSULTED ON EXPANDING THEIR REGIONAL OFFICES/CENTRES TO INCLUDE ADVISORY SERVICES ON DRUG TREATMENT.

/ON PUBLICITY,