Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Email this article news.gov.hk
LCQ18: Drug abuse in Internet cafe
**********************************

     Following is a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Security, Mr Lai Tung-kwok, to a question by the Hon Paul Chan Mo-po in the Legislative Council today (April 21):

Question:

     Both the "2008/09 Survey of Drug Use among Students" conducted by the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau and the "Central Registry of Drug Abuse Fifty-eighth Report" have uncovered that Internet computer services centres (commonly known as "Internet cafes") are the hotbeds of substance abuse and even drug taking of young people aged under 21, and there is a trend for the problem to aggravate.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether law enforcement agencies had conducted inspections of Internet cafes in the past three years to combat drug trafficking and drug taking; if not, of the reasons for that; if so, of an annual breakdown of the number of inspections conducted, the number of persons arrested who were alleged to have trafficked drugs and taken drugs, their age, the types of pharmaceutical substances or drugs involved, and among the persons arrested, the respective numbers of those who were prosecuted and convicted, as well as the details of penalties imposed on them;

(b) whether the authorities had, in the past three years, studied how Internet cafes should be regulated, so as to combat substance abuse and drug taking; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(c) whether the authorities will consider regulating Internet cafes through a licensing system to target at the aforesaid problem?

Reply:

President,

(a) The Government has been keeping a close watch on the social and law and order problems that may be caused by young people hanging around the parks, streets and places of entertainment, including Internet computer services centres (commonly known as "Internet cafes").  Inspecting Internet cafes has been an integral part of Police's regular law enforcement effort in a bid to prevent young people from taking drugs or engaging in other illegal activities in public places.  The Police do not maintain figures on inspection of Internet cafes.  According to Police records, the number of persons arrested for suspected drug trafficking and drug abuse in Internet cafes in the past three years are as follows:

                    2007    2008    2009
                    ----    ----    ----
Trafficking in       1        2       2
dangerous drugs

Possession of        2        6       3
dangerous drugs

     Of the 16 persons arrested, seven of them were under the age of 21.  The types of drugs involved included cocaine, ketamine and ice.  Fourteen of them were prosecuted and convicted and the sentences awarded included fines, Probation Orders, admission to detention centres, drug addiction treatment centres and imprisonments.

(b) The Government has been closely monitoring the situation of drug problems, including the situation in different type of premises.  As shown by the Police figures above, there is no perceptible rising trend in drug offences related to Internet cafe.  According to data of the Central Registry of Drug Abuse, 4.8% of young drug abusers aged under 21 took drugs in nightclub or Internet cafe in 2007.  The proportion has increased to 6.3% in 2009.  Besides, the "2008/09 Survey of Drug Use among Students" (the Survey) published in February this year showed that, on the whole, Internet cafe was not the major venue for drug-taking students.  Overall speaking, drug problem in Internet cafe is not particularly serious.  However, the Government notices that the Survey revealed that 20.8% of drug-taking upper primary students had indicated that they had taken drugs in Internet cafe.  We are paying serious attention to the situation.

     The Police will continue to combat drug offences involving Internet cafe through regular inspection.  Social workers of Counselling Centres for Psychotropic Substance Abusers and outreaching social workers will also take the initiative to visit Internet cafes to contact youths prone to drug abuse and offer counselling on the spot, follow-up services and anti-drug education.  On the other hand, the Government will promote researches on the problems of drug abuse by primary students, such as examination on the situation of drug abuse in Internet cafe by primary students, in order to assist in the formulation of relevant measures.

(c) The mode of operation and the types of services provided by Internet cafes are diverse.  Internet cafes mainly provide computers and related equipment to customers for using Internet services including business and personal communication, browsing of information on the Internet, listening to the music, playing network games and restaurant/cafe services.  Operators of Internet cafes are required to comply with all legislation and requirements such as fire and building safety, noise control, public order and crime prevention, etc.  The Home Affairs Bureau has also issued a "Code of Practice for Internet Computer Services Centres Operators" for voluntary compliance by the industry.  The Government has no plan at the present stage to regulate Internet cafes through a licensing system.  Different departments will continue to regulate operation of Internet cafes under the relevant legislation.

Ends/Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:33

NNNN

Print this page