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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 the 2015 Funding Exercise from today (August 7) until September 4.
The fund aims to promote worthwhile anti-drug projects that can help address the problem of drug abuse. For the 2015 Funding Exercise, the Beat Drugs Fund Association will accord priority to projects that tackle the hidden drug problem; address the situation of the increase in drug abusers in young adulthood, the continued prevalence of psychotropic substance abuse (PSA) and young people being involved in drug-related offences; and meet specific service needs for treatment and rehabilitation (T&R), drawing reference to the strategic directions set out in the Three-Year Plan on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services in Hong Kong (2015-2017).
On the T&R front, priority consideration will be given to:
* Projects that take into account the latest demographic characteristics of drug abusers (e.g. young working adults, female drug abusers including pregnant ones and ethnic minorities) and cater for their varying needs. The pilot projects could be community or residential based, or may involve treatment in the hospital setting;
* Projects that support family members of drug abusers, which could also serve as a means of engaging hidden drug abusers in the family, providing motivational support for handling emotional distress as well as preventing inter-generational drug abuse patterns;
* Projects that promote/strengthen collaboration among various sectors and service modes to tackle the increasingly complex PSA cases and to facilitate a continuum of services for drug abusers. Key players may include community-based service units, residential drug treatment centres, the medical services and law enforcement agencies;
* Projects that facilitate early identification of drug abusers and intervention, including but not limited to peer snowballing and trials on home visits to identify drug abusers in the community;
* Projects that strengthen aftercare services for those who have successfully quit drugs so as to minimise relapse and facilitate reintegration into society. Examples include counselling at post-treatment stage, vocational training and provision of job placement opportunities; and
* Projects that provide structured training or platforms for experience sharing among anti-drug workers and related personnel to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge in handling the increasingly complex PSA cases.
On the preventive education and publicity (PE&P) front, priority consideration will be given to:
* Projects which focus on at-risk families or family members to reduce the risk of drug abuse among any members of the families and for rendering support;
* Projects that provide preventive education targeting high-risk youths or young adults outside the school network (e.g. working adults) who are at risk of drug abuse, particularly in enhancing perceptions of risks associated with drug abuse and promoting attitudinal change towards drugs, as well as preventing youngsters from being lured into drug trafficking activities; and
* Projects that seek to promote community acceptance of T&R services and facilities.
On the research front, priority consideration will be given to:
* Projects that research the characteristics of PSA, in particular those psychotropic substances which have gained prevalence in Hong Kong, to provide more information about the drug harms and to identify suitable treatment methods;
* Research on the behavioural patterns, including relapse patterns, of different groups of drug abusers (e.g. female drug abusers, pregnant drug abusers, working drug abusers and drug abusers from ethnic minorities);
* Research on the social return of the various anti-drug services and programmes, as well as the social costs of drug abuse (e.g. the differential in social costs between early intervention by the help network and intervention at a substantially later stage); and
* Research to develop a qualitative model of drug monitoring system to facilitate the design of appropriate anti-drug strategies.
The application form and Guide to Beat Drugs Fund 2015 Funding Exercise are available on the website of the Narcotics Division, 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 are welcome by telephone 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 2016. Applications for the next round of the funding exercise will tentatively be invited in the third quarter of 2016.
Since the establishment of the Beat Drugs Fund, 762 projects have been supported involving some $753 million. Of the funds approved, about $129 million has been granted for 125 T&R projects, about $186 million for 400 PE&P projects, about $35 million for 34 research projects, and about $137 million for 117 mixed-type projects.
Ends/Friday, August 7, 2015
Issued at HKT 10:20
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