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The Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) at its quarterly meeting today (June 26) reviewed the local drug situation in the first quarter of 2014. Members noted that the local drug situation had continued to improve. The total number of reported drug abusers and drug abusers aged under 21 had decreased compared to the same period in 2013.
According to the latest figures of the Central Registry of Drug Abuse (CRDA), the total number of reported drug abusers in the first quarter of 2014 decreased by 13 per cent (from 3,546 to 3,093) compared to the same period last year. The number of reported drug abusers aged under 21 recorded a substantial decline of 43 per cent (from 413 to 236).
The number of newly reported drug abusers dropped by 23 per cent (from 622 to 477) compared to the same period last year, while the number of newly reported drug abusers aged under 21 decreased by 41 per cent (from 188 to 110).
The latest CRDA figures also showed that the median time of abusing drugs by newly reported abusers (i.e. the time for abusers to be discovered by the CRDA reporting agencies from their first drug abuse) had increased from 4.1 years in the first quarter of 2013 and 4.6 years in 2013 as a whole to 5.3 years in the first quarter of 2014.
ACAN Chairman Professor Daniel Shek said that although the total number of drug abusers had continued to decrease, in particular the significant drop in the number of young drug abusers, anti-drug efforts would not slacken.
Professor Shek said, "In spite of the improvement in the local drug situation, the situation of the hidden nature of drug abuse remains an issue of concern. ACAN will continue to work closely with various government departments to actively promote measures to address the hidden drug abuse problem, such as the earlier public consultation on the RESCUE Drug Testing (RDT) Scheme.
"ACAN carried out the public consultation on the RDT Scheme to propose for the community's consideration an additional measure to facilitate early identification of drug abusers and to refer them to drug counselling and treatment programmes. The consultation has ended and ACAN will release the conclusion as soon as possible."
The Commissioner for Narcotics, Mrs Erika Hui, said that the Administration was very concerned about the increasingly hidden nature of drug abuse and would continue to combat the drug problem in a holistic manner through the five-pronged strategy of preventive education and publicity, treatment and rehabilitation, legislation and law enforcement, external co-operation and research.
Mrs Hui said, "To address the hidden drug abuse problem, we will encourage drug abusers to seek help early through various channels. In addition to enhancing the service of the anti-drug hotline 186 186, we have recently launched for trial a new service enabling people with drug problems to use the smartphone applications WhatsApp and WeChat to send messages to 98 186 186 to seek help."
In addition, the Government will step up anti-drug publicity, including the production of a new set of TV Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs) and a poster to encourage drug abusers to seek help early. The APIs and relevant advertising will be launched during the summer holidays and will be broadcast and widely displayed on public transportation networks, in entertainment venues, and on the Internet and social media platforms.
At the meeting, members also reviewed other local drug-related figures in the first quarter of 2014.
The number of reported abusers taking narcotic analgesics (1,718) was higher than the number of psychotropic substance abusers (1,664). The numbers of abusers of narcotic analgesics and psychotropic substances recorded declines of 11 per cent and 14 per cent respectively compared to the same period last year.
Heroin remained the most common type of drug abused among reported abusers. The number of reported heroin abusers was 11 per cent lower than in the same period of 2013 (from 1,937 to 1,718).
Ketamine remained the most common type of psychotropic substance abused. The number of reported ketamine abusers was 25 per cent lower (from 953 to 713) compared to the same period in 2013. Among them, 15 per cent were young people aged under 21.
The numbers of reported abusers of most other types of psychotropic substances saw reductions - ecstasy (50 per cent lower), cough medicine (20 per cent lower), triazolam/midazolam/zopiclone (9 per cent lower) and cocaine (6 per cent lower), with the exception of nimetazepam (33 per cent higher), cannabis (21 per cent higher) and methamphetamine ("ice") (13 per cent higher).
Ends/Thursday, June 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:06
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