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Over 250 members of the public from nearly 80 families gathered at the Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village today (November 28) to join an anti-drug family day camp.
Co-organised by the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau (ND), the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) and the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) Radio 2, the family day camp marks the finale of the large-scale anti-drug campaign "Fight Drugs Together 2010".
To arouse public awareness of drug abuse problems and urge young people to build a healthy lifestyle and remind them to stay away from drugs, ND and ACAN partnered with RTHK Radio 2, a popular radio channel among young people, to launch the "Fight Drugs Together 2010" campaign and press home anti-drug messages through various activities.
While the organisers recruited some of the participating families through a radio programme, others joining the day camp include new arrival families, single parent families and ethnic minority families, some of which were enlisted via non-governmental organisations. Through the day camp, the organisers hope that the public will understand that a harmonious family relationship is crucial to the healthy development of young people, and that family support can strengthen young peopleˇ¦s resolve to say no to drugs.
Principal Assistant Secretary for Security (Narcotics), Mr Eric Lee, said at a ceremony held during the day camp that preventive education was vital in tackling youth drug abuse problems and that the family was the frontline in the war against drugs.
"A caring, supportive and co-operative family with good communication can greatly help young people to resist the temptation of drugs. Through the recreational activities organised in the camp today, we hope that the participants can understand the importance of a harmonious family relationship in facing and solving problems," Mr Lee said.
All participating families were encouraged to join in a large-scale group game and to make handicrafts that included anti-drug elements. During the afternoon ceremony, the Customs and Excise Department Detector Dog Division performed a drug search demonstration, while the Hong Kong Caring Magic Circus, a corporate member of Anti-drug Volunteers Group, disseminated anti-drug messages through a magic show. Artistes Mr Jason Chan and Miss Joyce Cheng also performed at the ceremony. One family was selected by the organisers as the most "harmonious family". At the end of the day, all participants read out the anti-drug slogan "Not Now Not Ever. Stand Firm! Knock Drugs Out", concluding the "Fight Drugs Together 2010" campaign.
A series of activities under the "Fight Drugs Together 2010" campaign was launched at a large-scale ceremony in June this year. The first programme was an anti-drug radio drama performed by artistes Mr Andy Lau and Ms Miriam Yeung, using a script adapted from real-life stories. Two anti-drug talks were organised for young participants of "Solar Project - Never Give Up Association" to deepen their understanding of the harmful effects of abusing drugs. Also, an anti-drug song competition was organised, and winning pieces were uploaded to the "Fight Drugs Together 2010" website. A series of anti-drug radio segments were broadcast, which included the experiences of celebrities in fighting adversity to urge young people to stay away from drugs, as well as interviews with high risk youths and young ex-abusers telling their stories. Social workers were also invited to a live radio programmme to provide assistance to callers.
Video footages and sound clips of "Fight Drugs Together 2010" programmes have been uploaded to the dedicated website (teenpower1.rthk.org.hk/teenspecial/antidrugs2010/index.html) for public's viewing.
Ends/Sunday, November 28, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:25
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