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The compulsory drug testing proposed by the Task Force on Youth Drug Abuse is to enable early identification of young drug abusers for treatment and rehabilitation and not to facilitate prosecution, the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, said today (November 13).
At the Sha Tin District Fight Crime Committee meeting today, Mr Lee said the number of young drug abusers had been increasing in recent years and abuse of psychotropic substances had become a public concern. Apart from the short- and medium-term measures that had been implemented since the middle of this year, the task force recently put forward a series of recommendations to fight the drug abuse problem holistically. All these were aimed at protecting youth from physical and psychological harm resulting from drug abuse.
Referring to the recommendation to introduce new legislation to empower law enforcement agencies to require a person reasonably suspected of having taken dangerous drugs to take a drug test, Mr Lee said the authorities would work out the detailed proposal for public consultation.
Meanwhile, the task force has suggested that a research project be commissioned to devise possible school-based drug testing schemes for voluntary adoption by schools. It has also proposed a two-year pilot project on an enhanced probation service to break the vicious circle of drug abuse and crime.
Mr Lee said, "Under another recommendation, the Administration will step up co-operation with Mainland authorities, with Hong Kong obtaining information on youngsters caught abusing drugs on the Mainland and administratively detained on the Mainland. If the youngsters are repatriated to Hong Kong, they will be received by the Hong Kong Police, who may contact their parents or guardians so that follow-up rehabilitative services can be provided."
He said an anti-drug publicity campaign with the theme "No Drugs, No Regrets. Not Now, Not Ever." was launched in mid-2008 to tie in with the work of the task force. Apart from strengthening the "five-pronged" measures of preventive education and publicity, treatment and rehabilitation, law enforcement, research, and external co-operation, the task force had also launched the "Path Builders" initiative to foster a youth caring culture in the community.
Mr Lee said the youth drug abuse problem involved a variety of contributing factors and could not be resolved in one day. The Administration would continue to co-operate closely with the community and various sectors to fight against drugs, he said.
Ends/Thursday, November 13, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:39
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