ENG-2007 — Page 367

Public Order 311

Overall Strategy and Coordination

The Government adopts a five-pronged approach to fighting drug abuse. The strategy involves legislation and law enforcement, education and publicity, treatment and rehabilitation, research, and international cooperation.

The Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) advises the Government on the formulation of anti-drug strategies. It is a non-statutory body composed of professionals in the medical, youth service, educational and anti-drug fields. Headed by a chairman, it has 14 unofficial members and two official members. The officials are the Commissioner for Narcotics and a representative from the Department of Health. Under an arrangement between Singapore and Hong Kong, the Director of Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau also sits on the committee.

As a result of the rise in drug abuse by young people in recent years, the Chief Executive in his 2007-08 Policy Address announced the appointment of the Secretary for Justice, who is Deputy Chairman of the Fight Crime Committee (FCC), to head a high level inter-departmental task force to combat drug abuse among young people. The task force will make use of the existing anti-crime and anti-drug networks, including ACAN and FCC, to consolidate strategies from a holistic perspective, spearhead cross bureaux and inter-departmental efforts, and enhance collaboration among non-governmental organisations, stakeholders and the community in promoting the anti-drug battle.

Legislation

Regular reviews are conducted to see whether amendments or revisions to the existing ordinances are needed to deal with changes in the drugs world.

Treatment and Rehabilitation

The Narcotics Division works with its anti-drug partners to provide a variety of treatment and rehabilitation services to help drug abusers from different backgrounds. The major services include the running of a compulsory drug treatment programme 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 (NGOs). Medical and psychiatric treatment for psychotropic substance abusers is provided by five substance abuse clinics under the Hospital Authority. In addition, the five Counselling Centres for Psychotropic Substance Abusers, operated by NGOs and subvented by the Social Welfare Department, provide community-based services to psychotropic substance abusers.

Under the Drug Dependent Persons Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres (Licensing) Ordinance, centres offering voluntary in-house treatment to four or more people need to be licensed by the Social Welfare Department to make sure that the centres meet present-day safety and management requirements. By year-end, 12 centres were operating with a valid licence, and Certificates of Exemption were issued to another 27 centres that were operating before the ordinance came into effect.