ENG-2003 — Page 419

PUBLIC ORDER

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 major drug treatment and rehabilitation services include a compulsory drug treatment programme operated by the Correctional Services Department, a voluntary methadone out-patient treatment programme provided by the Department of Health, and voluntary residential programmes run by non-governmental organisations including Christian therapeutic drug treatment agencies. Medical and psychiatric treatment for psychotropic substance abusers is provided by six substance abuse clinics under the Hospital Authority. There are also five Counselling Centres for Psychotropic Substance Abusers operated by non-governmental organisations which. are subvented by the Social Welfare Department.

The Drug Dependent Persons Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres (Licensing) Ordinance, which came into operation on April 1, 2002, provides for the control of treatment centres catering for voluntary residential treatment of four or more persons, through a licensing scheme administered by the Social Welfare Department. By year- end, 29 out of 44 Certificates of Exemption issued to treatment centres operating before commencement of the ordinance had been renewed and one licence issued to a new treatment centre.

During the year, good progress continued to be made in implementing the recommendations of the Second Three-year Plan on

on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services (2000-2002). In June, a new centre providing a combined residential programme and out-patient service for young male substance abusers began operation in Tuen Mun. In October, a set of protocols for screening and assessment of poly-drug abusers was issued to front-line anti-drug workers.

A working group was formed in February to advise the Narcotics Division on the preparation of the Third Three-year Plan on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services (2003-05). Following consultation with relevant government departments and drug treatment agencies, the Plan was promulgated in December. Apart from giving an overall view of the drug abuse trends and major developments in the past years, the Plan has formulated new strategies to improve the provision of drug treatment and rehabilitation services. A working group comprising representatives of relevant government departments will be set up in 2004 to follow up on its implementation. During the year, various measures were adopted to improve the services of the methadone clinics pursuant to the recommendations of the Report on the Review of the Methadone Treatment Programme. Individual and group counselling services for methadone patients and their families were enhanced. Following a pilot project at three methadone clinics between July and September, the Department of Health decided to implement universal HIV urine testing at all methadone clinics with effect from January 2004. In October, the United Nations (UN) Regional Task Force on Drug Use and HIV Vulnerability organised a Training Workshop on Methadone Treatment for HIV Prevention in Hong Kong. The three-day workshop attracted over 100 health care workers from the South-East Asia and Pacific region.

Preventive Education and Publicity

The Narcotics Division adopted a multi-faceted approach in publicising the anti-drug message during the year. To sustain drug education for students, the division has

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