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WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1974
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HE SUMMED UP BY SAYING THAT FOR HONG KONG, WITH ITS ESTIMATED 100,000 ADDICTS, PHYSICAL REHABILITATION AND METHADONE MAINTENANCE SHOULD BE IN OPERATION SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SOME 1,150 ADDICTS HAD, IN THE COURSE OF 19 MONTHS, BEEN THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT'S TRIAL SCHEME.
+ONCE IT IS DECIDED THAT A FULL-SCALE TREATMENT PROGRAMME SHOULD BE LAUNCHED, MANY MORE CAN BE OFFERED TREATMENT,+ HE COMMENTED. +WITH THIS, AND POSSIBLY FURTHER EXPANSION OF SHEK KWU CHAU, WE SHALL BE ABLE TO TREAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ADDICTS, BEARING IN MIND ONE TARGET SUGGESTED OF 50,000 IN THREE YEARS.+
HE DESCRIBED THE IDEAL ARRANGEMENT AS ONE HAVING A BOARD TO SCREEN ALL ADDICTS WHO APPLIED FOR TREATMENT, AND THEN TO ALLOCATE THEM TO EITHER ONE OF THE TWO PROGRAMMES ACCORDING TO THE CRITERIA LAID DOWN FOR ADMISSION.
TO AUGMENT THE PROGRAMME, SOCIAL WORKERS WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR COUNSELLING ADDICTS, AND CLUB FACILITIES SHOULD BE PROVIDED FOR THEM SO THAT THEY HAD +SOMEWHERE TO GO WHENEVER THEY WISH TO KEEP AWAY FROM UNDESIRABLE COMPANY, OR DRUG-POLLUTED ENVIRONMENTS.+
DR CHOA SAID THE ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTRES FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN OFFENDERS HAD BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND THIS FORM OF HUMANE TREATMENT SHOULD BE CONTINUED.
+HONG KONG IS A MOST SUITABLE PLACE FOR FURTHER RESEARCH BECAUSE FOLLOW-UP STUDIES ARE FACILITATED BY THE FACT THAT VIRTUALLY NO MOVEMENT TAKES PLACE AMONG THE ADD ICT POPULATION, + HE EMPHASISED.
WORK ON LONGER-ACTING METHADONE PREPARATIONS AND ANTAGONISTS . TO OPIATES WAS NOW BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE UNITED STATES. THE ADVANTAGE OF THE FORMER WAS TO REDUCE THE DAILY ATTENDANCE AT A CLINIC TO PERHAPS TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK, AND THE USE OF THE LATTER WAS TO MAKE ADDICTS INTOLERABLE TO OPIUM, MORPHINE AND HEROIN, LIKE ANTABUSE FOR ALCOHOL.
GIVEN SUPPORT, TRIALS ON THESE AND ANY OTHER METHODS WORTH INVESTIGATING COULD BE CARRIED OUT IN HONG KONG.
+1 HOPE THAT UNDER THE ACTION COMMITTEE AGAINST NARCOTICS, ALL INTERESTED WILL WORK TOGETHER AS A BODY, WITH THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT'S NEWLY-FORMED NARCOTICS AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION DIVISION CO-ORDINATING ALL TREATMENT PROGRAMMES,+ HE CONCLUDED.'
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