CONFIDENTIAL
156777
MDHIAN 8281
THE
DRUG ABUSERS HAVING PERSONAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUNDS. CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OPERATES A COMPULSORY PLACEMENT PROGRAMME FOR CONVICTED CRIMINALS WHO ARE ALSO HEROIN ADDICTS. THEIR AVERAGE NON-RELAPSE RATE IS ABOUT 77 PER CENT. THE VOLUNTARY OUT-PATIENT METHADONE PROGRAMME RUN BY THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT COMPRISES 25 CLINICS MOST OF WHICH ARE OPEN EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR AND ARE ATTENDED DAILY BY ABOUT 8,000 ADDICTS. A VOLUNTARY IN-PATIENT TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMME IS PROVIDED BY THE SOCIETY FOR THE AID AND REHABILITATION OF DRUG ABUSERS (SARDA), A MAJOR NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION. TREATMENT
ON ANY PROGRAMMES ARE ALSO PROVIDED BY NUMEROUS RELIGIOUS BODIES. GIVEN DAY ABOUT 14,000 PERSONS ARE UNDER SOME FORM OF TREATMENT OR AFTERCARE. IN VIEW OF THE RECENT RISING TREND IN THE ABUSE OF PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES, A COUNSELLING CENTRE WAS SET UP IN APRIL 1988 BY THE HONG KONG CHRISTIAN SERVICE, WITH GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND SUPERVISION TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM.
PREVENTIVE EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY
THE GOVERNMENT FULLY RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE OF DEMAND REDUCTION IN THE OVERALL ANTI-DRUG PROGRAMME AND PLACES GREAT EMPHASIS ON PREVENTIVE WORK. IN THE 1988/89 FINANCIAL YEAR HK
PRINTED DOLLARS 1.66 MILLION HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THIS PURPOSE. MATERIAL AND THE MASS MEDIA, ESPECIALLY TELEVISION AND RADIO, ARE HEAVILY UTILIZED AND NUMEROUS CAMPAIGNS AND DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES ARE ORGANISED TO PUBLICISE THE ANTI-DRUG MESSAGE AND TO CREATE A HIGH LEVEL OF PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE DRUG PROBLEM. IN SCHOOLS, ANTI-DRUG EDUCATION IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE CURRICULUM. GOVERNMENT HAS PRODUCED A KIT TO HELP TEACHERS TEACHING THIS SUBJECT. THE NARCOTICS DIVISION'S SCHOOL TALKS TEAM VISITS ALL
FROM ITS SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG TO GIVE EDUCATIONAL TALKS. INCEPTION IN 1985 UP TO 30 SEPTEMBER 1988 THE TEAM HAS GIVEN 858 TALKS TO THE STUDENTS OF ALMOST ALL SECONDAY SCHOOLS IN HONG KONG.
THE
THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT THESE PREVENTIVE PROGRAMMES HAVE CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE CONTROL AND REDUCTION OF THE PROBLEM OF DRUG ABUSE IN HONG KONG, AS EVIDENCE BY THE CONTINUAL DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS NEWLY REPORTED TO THE CENTRAL REGISTRY OF DRUG ABUSE. THE NUMBER OF PERSONS OF ALL AGES NEWLY REPORTED TO THE REGISTRY IN 1987 WAS 2,377, REPRESENTING A DECREASE OF 32.6 PERCENT COMPARED WITH THE CORRESPONDING FIGURE OF 3,527 IN 1985. SIMILARLY, THE NUMBER OF YOUNG PERSONS UNDER AGE 21 ALSO DECREASED BY 26.1 PERCENT (FROM 954 IN 1985 TO 705 IN 1987).
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