TNAG-0416-FCO40-462-Review-of-narcotics-problem-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 82

10KK19/3

SOUTH CHINA

MAY 29th

73

MORNING POSI

Taking the heat off the drug addict

A recent raid by the Police on drug dens in the Kowloon walled city pointed up all too clearly the futility and waste of manpower involved in Hongkong's war against narcotic drugs.

For no sooner do the police succeed in raiding a “den” or “divan" and winkling out the inmates than business starts up somewhere else.

Often in the past operators have been tipped off about police raids in advance. But even if the raid succeeds in surprising them they are not permanently put out of business.

We argued last year for the mounting of a massive co-ordinated and continuous 'campaign. against drug retailers with the object of upsetting them to such an extent that it would dislocate distribution and make drug dependents uncertain where their next fix was coming from.

But it is clear that with the onset of the Fight Violent Crime Campaign the police resources are going to be stretched to the maximum combating and preventing offences of a more serious nature and it will be impossible to mount intensified raids on drug den operators.

Is there any point therefore in continuing with token raids if it merely disgorges a few hardened and incorrigible addicts, totally beyond the help of the most dedicated rehabilitation scheme?

As Mr John Rear points out in last Friday's article, while the law does not make drug dependency a criminal offence it comes very close to it.

The possession of drugs is an offence, regardless of the amount involved, and Mr Rear... makes the point we should take a new tack in our attitude to dependents and drop the criminal law as a weapon against addiction.

We would make one proviso, however: Where there is a discernible trend to sell narcotic drugs to young people, this should be prosecuted with special vigour for what we should be aiming to prevent is the growth of addiction in the younger generation.

With the manpower released from mounting · daily raids against small-time dens the Police could then concentrate their attack on the people who really matter the big-time manufacturers, traffickers and distributors who are the real villains in this conspiracy.

Certainly a good deal of police and court time is taken up with minor narcotic offences. In 1970- 71, for example, a total of 14,628 cases were reported, more than 90 per cent of which were taken to court. This year anti-narcotic raids have been conducted at the rate of 70 a day.

In the McKinsey report tabled in Legislative Council last week the deployment of police manpower came in for special attention but it is not the function of management consultants to tell the Police what their policy objectives should be. This can only come from the Executive and Legislative Councils.

It is unlikely that such a policy will result in any serious rise in consumption or addiction for those who are determined to become hooked will find a way.

But by concentrating on the manufacturers, the distributors and the traffickers and making life much more hazardous for them it is likely the police will be able to make a far more lasting impression on the trade and this should be our chief objective.

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