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Public Order

centres, and provide community-based services in 11 counselling centres for psychotropic substance abusers and two centres for drug counselling.

The division oversees and coordinates initiatives in partnership with stakeholders according to strategic directions set out in its Three-year Plan on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services in Hong Kong (2018-20) and the latest drug scene.

Legislation and Enforcement

The division and relevant departments monitor the changing drug scene closely and review the laws regularly to address any emerging threat. In 2019, five dangerous drugs, namely acryloylfentanyl, furanylfentanyl, ocfentanil, tetrahydrofuranylfentanyl and 5F-MDMB-PINACA, were brought under the control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance. The police and the Customs and Excise Department seized 2,250kg of major types of drugs and arrested 2,399 people for drug-related offences.

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 5,614 drug abusers in 2019, of whom 28 per cent were new cases, 9 per cent were aged under 21 and 24 per cent abused more than one drug. Heroin continued to be the most commonly abused drug in Hong Kong, afflicting 52 per cent of drug abusers. Psychotropic substances were abused by 63 per cent of drug abusers and 98 per cent of abusers aged under 21. Commonly abused psychotropic substances included Ice (23 per cent), triazolam/midazolam/zopiclone (15 per cent), cocaine (14 per cent) and cannabis (9 per cent). The number of cannabis abusers increased 5 per cent. The drug history of newly reported abusers remained long. Half of them had abused drugs for at least 5.5 years before their drug abuse was reported, compared with 4.9 years in 2018.

External Cooperation

Hong Kong works closely with its Mainland and international counterparts in combating drug crimes. Three international conventions that provide a 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 62nd session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs held in Vienna.

Research

Drug-related research helps formulate anti-drug measures. The findings of a 2017-18 survey of drug use among students at upper primary to post-secondary levels were released in March.

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