ENG-2000 — Page 406

PUBLIC ORDER

346

Treatment and Rehabilitation

Hong Kong adopts a multi-modality approach in providing treatment and rehabilitation services to cater for the different needs of drug abusers from varying backgrounds.

The main types of treatment and rehabilitation programmes include a compulsory drug addiction treatment programme operated by the Correctional Services Department for convicted drug dependent persons; a voluntary out-patient methadone programme provided by the Department of Health; voluntary residential treatment programmes run by non-governmental organisations including Caritas Hong Kong, the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers (SARDA) and several Christian therapeutic treatment agencies; counselling services for psychotropic substance abusers provided by PS33 of the Hong Kong Christian Service, the Caritas HUGS Centre and the Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service Lutheran Cheer Centre; and medical services for substance abusers provided by the Hospital Authority's six substance abuse clinics.

Two teams of specially trained social workers, operating under the Against Substance Abuse Scheme of the Social Welfare Department, are available to help young people who occasionally abuse drugs.

During the year, planning work was under way for the establishment of another residential/counselling treatment centre for young opiate abusers in Tuen Mun.

In September, the Narcotics Division completed the second Three-year Plan on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services in Hong Kong. While presenting different types of drug treatment and rehabilitation programmes currently available in Hong Kong, and pointers for future improvement, the second plan also gave an overview of the drug abuse situation as well as the major developments in drug treatment and rehabilitation in the past three years.

In December, the Action Committee Against Narcotics endorsed the report on the review of the methadone treatment programme. The review concluded that the programme should be continued, comprising both maintenance and detoxification elements. Improvement measures based on the recommendations of the review will be introduced. During the year, a bill on the licensing of drug treatment and rehabilitation centres was introduced into the Legislative Council.

Preventive Education and Publicity

The Narcotics Division continued to adopt a multi-faceted approach in publicising the anti-drug message during the year. School drug education programmes were offered to students from Primary 5 up to all secondary levels and for those in the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education. Apart from disseminating information on the harmful effects of drug abuse, in order to cope with the rising trend of psychotropic substance abuse by youths, emphasis was put on correcting the misconception of young people that psychotropic substances were non-addictive and less harmful. At these school talks, drug education videos, interactive lectures and games were utilised as educational tools to reinforce the anti-drug message.

Special efforts were made during the year to warn young people about the danger of abusing psychotropic substances. A series of posters and leaflets on the harmful effects of cannabis, 'ice' and 'ecstasy' were published for distribution to the public. Arrangements were also made to place advertisements at Kowloon-Canton Railway