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BACKGROUND NOTES
THE DRUG PROBLEM
No. 14
The nineteenth century (legal) trade in opium in Hong Kong was
brought under Government control in 1909. The export of opiun was
banned and internal consumption brought under increasing restriction
until by the outbreak of the Second World War its use other than for
nedical and research purposes, had been abolished. No opium is now
produced in Hong Kong and the import, export and sale of narcotic drugs
are rigidly controlled in accordance with international agreements to
prevent their diversion to illicit purposes.
2.
Illicit trade in narcotics became a serious problem in Hong Kong
in the early 1950's largely as a result of the arrival from China, as
refugees, of heroin manufacturers, traders and addicts. This illicit
trade is well organised on an international, sometimes inter-continental
basis. Hong Kong is used by the traffickers because its excellent port
and communications facilities are conveniently situated near the nain
areas in South East Asia in which, for economic, political and
geographical reasons, there is still no strict control over the growing
of the opium poppy.
Intornational Cooperation
3. By a series of international Conventions and Agreements, the
first of which was adopted in 1912, an international 'rogine' has been
established to control the traffic in narcotics. The enforcement of
these agreements is now supervised by UNESCO through the U.N. Commission
on Narcotic Drugs. There has been no criticism (indeed only praise) from
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