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Public Order

to prevent serious or even irreversible impact on their health. The primary objective is to help those with drug problems, rather than to seek to punish them. ACAN will summarise the views received and make recommendations for the government's consideration.

Treatment and Rehabilitation

A variety of treatment and rehabilitation services is available to drug abusers with different needs. Major services include a compulsory drug treatment programme run by the Correctional Services Department, voluntary residential programmes run by NGOs in 40 centres, a voluntary methadone outpatient treatment programme operated by the Department of Health (DH), substance abuse clinics at all seven hospital clusters of the Hospital Authority, 11 counselling centres for psychotropic substance abusers run by NGOs, and two centres for drug counselling.

The ND continued to implement and monitor the 'Sixth Three-year Plan on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services in Hong Kong' published in 2012. The plan sets out key recommendations for the development of these services between 2012 and 2014, and emphasises the importance of ensuring that treatment and rehabilitation measures complement other elements of the anti-drug strategy.

Legislation and Enforcement

The ND and relevant departments closely monitor the changing drug scene and regularly review existing laws to meet any emerging threat. The Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department and the DH take action against drug crimes: 748 kilograms and 119,851 tablets of dangerous drugs were seized in 2013 and 5,984 persons were arrested for drug-related offences.

Drug Abuse, Statistics and Trends

The Central Registry of Drug Abuse compiles statistics on drug abuse, collating information about drug abusers from a wide network of reporting agencies, including law enforcement departments, youth outreaching teams, treatment and rehabilitation agencies, hospitals and clinics.

In 2013, some 10,069 drug abusers were recorded in the registry, of which 25 per cent were new cases, 12 per cent were aged under 21, and 81 per cent were males. Heroin continued to be the most commonly abused drug in Hong Kong, with 51 per cent of drug abusers recorded in the registry being heroin abusers. The proportion of psychotropic substance abusers has grown greatly over the years, reaching 61 per cent in 2013, and 97 per cent of reported drug abusers under the age of 21 abused psychotropic substances. Commonly abused psychotropic substances by all age groups included ketamine (28 per cent), ice (18 per cent) and triazolam/ midazolam/zopiclone (11 per cent). In 2013, about 22 per cent of drug abusers were reported to have abused more than one drug.

Fifty-two per cent took drugs only in their own homes or in friends' homes and 29 per cent at both homes and other places such as recreation areas, public gardens, public toilets and discos or karaoke halls, while the remaining 19 per cent took drugs wherever convenient. Five per cent of drug abusers were reported to have taken drugs in the Mainland, mostly in Shenzhen.

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