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Public Order

cent). The number of cannabis abusers increased 29 per cent. The drug history of newly reported abusers remained long. Half of them had abused drugs for at least five years before their drug abuse was reported, compared with 5.7 years in 2019.

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 2020, HKSAR Government representatives, as members of the Chinese delegation, joined several videoconference meetings of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs. and associated bodies.

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 2020-21 school year.

Beat Drugs Fund

With a capital base of $3.35 billion, the fund supports anti-drug community efforts by financing worthwhile projects and research, 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 2020, the fund approved about $277 million to support 199 projects and

programmes.

Under the fund, a total of $6.84 million has been granted to the 18 District Fight Crime Committees for the ongoing third round of the Anti-drug Community Awareness Building three-year programme to sustain anti-drug efforts and raise awareness of hidden abuse at the local community level.

Anti-money Laundering and Counter-terrorist Financing

The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau coordinates overall policies in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. The Security Bureau's Narcotics Division facilitates. the risk-based supervision by the relevant regulatory bodies of designated non-financial businesses and professions to ensure practitioners' compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance. The Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance requires declarations or disclosures to be made for the cross-boundary transportation of currency or bearer negotiable instruments with a value of more than $120,000.

Government Laboratory

The Government Laboratory's Forensic Science Division provides a comprehensive forensic service to the criminal justice system. The division is composed of two operational groups.

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