ENG-1998 — Page 225

HEALTH

Scheme of the Social Welfare Department are available to help young people who occasionally abuse drugs.

In March 1998, the Social Welfare Department started to provide subvention for four non-governmental organisations which provide voluntary residential treatment programmes for drug abusers with emphasis on psychosocial rehabilitation based on a Christian faith approach. The four organisations are Barnabas Charitable Service Association, Ling Oi Youth Centre of the Finnish Missionary Society, Operation Dawn and Christian New Being Fellowship. The length and content of the programmes vary with the four organisations, with all of them providing aftercare services. In April 1998, the Department of Health also started to provide subvention for a drug treatment and rehabilitation centre for young drug abusers with a capacity of 20.

From May to October, a public consultation exercise on a proposal to bring non- medical drug treatment and rehabilitation centres under a statutory registration scheme was conducted. In all, 24 submissions were received during the consultation period, and the respondents were generally supportive of the proposal to bring those centres under statutory control. The Narcotics Division would take account of the views received in drawing up final recommendations on the registration scheme.

In October 1998, a new counselling centre for young psychotropic substance abusers run by the Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service began operation in the New Territories East. It provides counselling services and preventive education programmes for habitual and occasional/potential psychotropic substance abusers in North, Tai Po, Sha Tin and Sai Kung districts.

During the year, considerable success was achieved in fostering public acceptance of drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities. Local support was secured for the establishment of a residential treatment centre for opiate drug abusers and a counselling centre for psychotropic substance abusers. In June 1998, renovation works for a new residential treatment centre for opiate abusers started. The centre is expected to begin operation in early 1999.

Preventive Education and Publicity

Anti-drugs preventive education and publicity programmes in 1998 continued to take a multi-faceted approach in disseminating anti-drugs messages. The programmes educated young people that there was no difference between 'hard' and 'soft' drugs in terms of the harm they could do to their lives; helped them to develop the life skills to resist drugs; pointed out that there were alternatives to drugs to cope with problems; and encouraged them to adopt a healthy lifestyle and lead a drug-free life. Efforts were also targeted at parents, alerting them to their important role in steering children away from drugs. In October 1998, the Social Welfare Department improved the professional manpower of the Against Substance Abuse Scheme and provided additional subvention for PS33 with a view to enhancing its preventive education work.

Special efforts were made during the year to warn young people about the danger of abusing psychotropic substances. A leaflet about the harmful effects of 'ice' was published for distribution to the public. Two new television announcements in the public interest and two new posters were also produced to persuade people to stay away from drugs and pursue a healthy life.

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