ENG-2018 — Page 335

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Public Order

Drug Abuse Statistics and Trends

The Central Registry of Drug Abuse compiles drug abuser statistics filed by a network of reporting agencies, including law enforcement agencies, treatment and welfare agencies, tertiary institutions, hospitals and clinics.

The registry recorded 6,611 drug abusers in 2018, of whom 25 per cent were new cases, 7 per cent were aged under 21 and 23 per cent abused more than one drug. Heroin continued to be the most commonly abused drug in Hong Kong, afflicting 55 per cent of drug abusers. Psychotropic substances were abused by 59 per cent of drug abusers and 98 per cent of abusers were aged under 21. Commonly abused psychotropic substances included Ice (23 per cent), cocaine (15 per cent) and triazolam/midazolam/zopiclone (14 per cent). The numbers of cannabis and cocaine abusers increased 17 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. The drug history of newly reported abusers remained long. Half of them had abused drugs for at least 4.7 years, compared with 4.6 years in 2017.

External Cooperation

Hong Kong works closely with its Mainland and international counterparts in combating drug crimes. Three international conventions that provide a treaty-based framework for international cooperation to address the drug problem apply to Hong Kong: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs as amended by the 1972 Protocol, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

In March, HKSAR Government representatives led by the division joined the Chinese delegation to attend the 61st session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna.

Research

Drug-related research helps formulate anti-drug measures. A survey of drug use among students at upper primary to post-secondary levels was conducted in the 2017-18 school year, with the findings to be released in 2019.

Beat Drugs Fund

With a capital base of $3.35 billion, the fund supports anti-drug community efforts by financing worthwhile projects, helping treatment and rehabilitation centres to meet statutory licensing requirements and supporting schools in implementing the Healthy School Programme with a Drug Testing Component and the 'Participate in Sports, Stay Away from Drugs' programme. In the 2018 regular funding exercise, the fund approved about $123.8 million to support 61 projects and programmes.

Under the fund, a third round of the Anti-drug Community Awareness Building three-year programme was launched in April. A grant of $6.84 million would be provided to the 18 District Fight Crime Committees to sustain anti-drug efforts and raise awareness of hidden abuse at the local community level.

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