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The following is issued on behalf of the Secretariat of the Beat Drugs Fund Association:
The Beat Drugs Fund is inviting grant applications for its 2014 Funding Exercise from today (August 5) until September 5.
The fund aims to promote worthwhile anti-drug projects that can help address the problem of drug abuse. For the 2014 Funding Exercise, the Association will accord priority to projects that promote new and/or innovative measures/approaches to tackle the problem of hidden drug abuse.
On the treatment and rehabilitation (T&R) front, priority will be given to projects that provide support services for families of drug abusers at different life stages, with the ultimate objective of helping in the T&R of drug abusers; projects that promote/strengthen collaboration among law enforcement agencies, social services, medical fields and other related services for better referral arrangements and provision of holistic services for drug abusers; projects that help rehabilitated drug abusers minimise relapse and reintegrate into society; projects that provide structured training and/or experience sharing for anti-drug workers and related personnel (e.g. social workers and health-care professionals) to improve the effectiveness of T&R services; and projects that address the needs of specific groups, such as female abusers, pregnant abusers, working drug abusers and drug abusers who have developed medical complications as a result of long-term abuse of psychotropic substances.
On the preventive education and publicity (PE&P) front, priority will be given to projects that provide training to front-line workers (e.g. youth workers, health-care professionals and teachers) on early identification of hidden abusers for rendering assistance; projects that enhance the capability of parents, including those in at-risk families, to enhance their roles in preventing their children from engaging in drug abuse, as well as in the early identification of children's drug problems; projects that focus on early identification of parents with drug abuse history for rendering support and enhancing their skills to reduce the risk of drug abuse among their children; projects that provide preventive education targeting high-risk youths or working adults who are at risk of drug abuse, particularly in promoting attitudinal change towards drugs, or using a tailored approach to address the latest psychotropic substance abuse patterns of specific groups; and projects that seek to promote community acceptance of T&R services and facilities.
On the research front, priority will be given to projects that expedite the development or validation of rapid oral fluid test kits for on-the-spot screening of drug abusers; research that can facilitate a better understanding of the risk factors as well as provide a more comprehensive estimate of the medical and social impacts and costs, both tangible and intangible, of psychotropic substance abuse; and projects that can develop evidence-based understanding of different facets of anti-drug services and programmes, such as those aiming at assessing the effectiveness of different methods of treatment and different models of intervention and treatment, studying the behavioural patterns of psychotropic substance abusers or developing a qualitative module for a drug monitoring system.
Other priority areas include anti-drug projects addressing the needs of ethnic minorities.
The application form and the guide to the Beat Drugs Fund 2014 Funding Exercise are available on the website of the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau (www.nd.gov.hk/en/beat.htm). They are also available for collection at the Secretariat of the Beat Drugs Fund Association (30/F, High Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong), the Hong Kong Jockey Club Drug InfoCentre (Roof Floor, Low Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong) and all Public Enquiry Service Centres of the Home Affairs Department.
Enquiries can be made on 2867 2737 or 2867 2286, by fax on 2810 1790 or via email to sbeon4@sb.gov.hk.
The results of applications are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2015. It is tentatively planned to invite applications for the next round of the Funding Exercise in the third quarter of 2015.
Since the establishment of the Beat Drugs Fund, 703 projects have been supported involving some $590 million. Of the funds approved, about $115.7 million has been granted for 116 T&R projects, about $180.4 million for 393 PE&P projects, about $28.5 million for 29 research projects, and about $119.7 million for 107 mixed-type projects.
Ends/Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Issued at HKT 13:01
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