ENG-2014 — Page 332

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Public Order

Legislation and Enforcement

The ND and relevant departments closely monitor the changing drug scene and regularly review existing laws to meet any emerging threat. In 2014, 'methoxetamine and relevant derivatives' and 'alpha-phenylacetoacetonitrile' were brought under the control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and the Control of Chemicals Ordinance respectively. The Police Force, the Customs and Excise and Health departments take action against drug crimes: 1,100 kilograms and 28,833 tablets of dangerous drugs were seized in 2014 and 4,877 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 2014, some 8,926 drug abusers were recorded in the registry, of which 22 per cent were new cases and 9 per cent were aged under 21. Heroin continued to be the most commonly abused drug in Hong Kong, with 52 per cent of drug abusers being heroin abusers. The proportion of psychotropic substance abusers was 61 per cent in 2014, and 96 per cent of abusers under the age of 21 abused psychotropic substances. Commonly abused psychotropic substances included ketamine (25 per cent), ice (23 per cent) and triazolam/midazolam/zopiclone (11 per cent). In 2014, 23 per cent of abusers abused more than one drug. The drug history of newly reported abusers continued to rise. Half of them had abused drugs for at least 5.2 years, compared with 4.7 years in 2013.

External Co-operation

Hong Kong supports international and Mainland action against drug abuse and drug trafficking and participates in a number of anti-drug related international and regional meetings and seminars. Three international anti-drug conventions, which provide a treaty-based framework for international co-operation to address the drug problem, apply to Hong Kong: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs as amended by the Protocol of 1972, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

In March, as members of the Chinese delegation, representatives from the ND, the police and the Customs and Excise, Health and Social Welfare departments took part in the 57th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna.

Research

Drug-related research studies assist the government's formulation of anti-drug strategies and programmes. A survey of drug use among students from upper primary to post-secondary was conducted in the 2014-15 school year. In 2014, five research projects on various aspects of drug abuse were completed and six were ongoing.

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