ENG-1997 — Page 220

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HEALTH

The Narcotics Division's Home Page, launched on the World Wide Web in June 1997 in commemoration of the annual International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, brings anti-drugs information right into the homes and schools of young people, locally and overseas.

The schools' anti-drugs programmes, together with central publicity efforts, represent a community-wide education and support effort to convey anti-drugs messages to young people.

During the year, the Narcotics Division's school talk team gave 458 drug education talks to 81 909 students in 387 primary and secondary schools and technical institutes. Talks were also organised for parents, members of youth organisations, and juvenile offenders at the boys' and girls' homes operated by the Social Welfare Department.

To better equip prospective teachers, in-service teachers and social workers with the issue of drug abuse, drug education training courses and seminars were organised for them. The target of training at least one teacher to handle the drug abuse problem for each secondary school for local students was achieved. The Education Department held an international conference in February on drug education in schools.

To strengthen parents' awareness of the drug problem and to encourage them to steer their children away from drugs, the Education Department encouraged and subsidised schools and Parent-Teacher Associations to organise drug education seminars and set up 24-hour hotlines for parents. The hotlines provided parents with information including advice on how to handle drug abuse.

The Social Welfare Department organised a roving drama with anti-drugs themes, with a total of 41 shows attended by 16 000 young people. The message 'Drug Abuse Ruins Life' was also applied as a post mark on all mail in the second half of May 1997 and 19 radio shows were held during the year, reaching out to about 660 000 young people.

The District Fight Crime Committees organised 18 district campaigns involving the community through activities such as visits, camps, seminars, carnivals, variety shows, competitions and exhibitions. For the first time, 48 school-based anti-drugs activities were organised by four District School Liaison Committees with ACAN funds.

The ACAN Community Against Drugs Scheme continued to provide encouragement and grants of up to $6,000 to youth groups to plan and implement anti-drugs education and publicity projects. It financed 14 projects. The ACAN Youth Volunteer Group took part in district campaigns and organised several community involvement projects, including an anti-drug abuse hotline card design competition and an anti-drugs charity walk for the Community Chest in November. ACAN's Anti-drug Abuse Hotline (2366 8822) continued to provide information on law enforcement, prevention of drug abuse, treatment and rehabilitation services and eight types of commonly abused substances.

Members of the public can also obtain information from the 24-hour automated hotline through facsimile service. It received 54 360 calls during the year.

Research

Drug-related research is conducted to give a better portrait of the drug scene. It is co- ordinated by the ACAN Sub-committee on Research, which recommends specific