ENG-2009 — Page 387

Public Order | 315

Two new services relating to treatment and rehabilitation started in October 2009. First, SWD commissioned the CCPSAs to provide basic medical support to enhance the engagement and counselling process. Second, a two-year pilot project was launched to provide more focused, structured and intensive treatment programmes for convicted young drug offenders aged below 21 who are put on probation pursuant to the Probation of Offenders Ordinance in two Probation Offices serving Kowloon City and Kwun Tong Magistrates.

The Hospital Authority allocated an additional fund of $13 million to provide more consultation sessions in the seven SACS to cope with the anticipated increase in service demand.

Moreover, the Chief Executive announced in July 2009 as part of an escalated anti-drug campaign that new and effective treatment and rehabilitation facilities should be provided for youth drug abusers who need voluntary treatment and rehabilitation programmes. The Administration will invite NGOs to put forward proposals for services modes and running such services.

Drug testing

Given the hidden nature of psychotropic substance abuse, the Task Force on Youth Drug Abuse recommended drug testing at three levels. In October 2009, CCPSAs started to provide drug testing service as part of the new medical support to help those who volunteer for testing. In December, the 23 public sector secondary schools in the Tai Po district launched a trial scheme on school drug testing which was accompanied by a parallel research project for evaluation, refinement and, if appropriate, extending the scheme to other districts and schools. At the community level, a public consultation exercise on compulsory drug testing is planned to start in 2010.

Also following the Chief Executive's steer in the anti-drug campaign, the Government Laboratory is taking the lead in introducing and running a hair drug testing service in Hong Kong starting in 2010, with the aim of transferring the technology to industry.

Preventive Education and Publicity

Schools are an important platform for preventing drug abuse. To tackle youth drug abuse at schools, the ND continued to work closely with the EDB to promote the institutionalisation of a school-based Healthy School Policy that contains an anti- drug element.

Support for schools continued to be strengthened. Structured professional training for school personnel including on-site training programmes for class and subject teachers and two-day advanced training for school management staff such as guidance and discipline teachers continued to be provided in 2009. In August, four large-scale regional seminars were also organised jointly by the EDB and the ND for all secondary school teachers. The seminars aimed at enhancing teachers' knowledge in drug prevention and identification of students at risk for assistance and referral. In co-operation with the Hong Kong Education City, a dedicated site on