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The Government announced today (January 3) that the Chief Executive has appointed Dr Choi Yuen-wan as Chairman of the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN), and appointed five new members and re-appointed 12 members to ACAN.
Dr Choi and other members' terms of appointment will last for two years from January 2003 to the end of 2004.
The newly appointed members are Dr the Hon Lo Wing-lok, Ms Scarlett Pong, Dr Wong Sing-wing, the Hon Henry Wu King-cheong and Ms Wu Shuk-yin.
Dr Choi Yuen-wan, the General Secretary of Breakthrough Ltd. and Chairman of the Youth Commission, is an expert in the field of youth culture and service. He succeeds Professor Lee Shiu-hung who has retired after serving on ACAN for eight years.
Prior to his appointment as ACAN Chairman, Dr Choi has been serving as a member of ACAN for six years. During that period, he has also served as Chairman of the ACAN Sub-committee on Treatment and Rehabilitation for four years.
The Commissioner for Narcotics, Mrs Clarie Lo said: "Professor Lee has made significant contributions to the work of ACAN. On behalf of the Government, I wish to extend to him my deepest gratitude."
"Under his chairmanship, ACAN has brought in many new initiatives including major projects and policy reviews, such as setting up of a Drug InfoCentre, the review of the Central Registry of Drug Abuse and setting up of a Task Force on Psychotropic Substance Abuse," she added.
Dr the Hon Lo Wing-lok and the Hon Henry Wu King-cheong are members of the Legislative Council; Ms Scarlett Pong is a member of the Practising Pharmacists Association of Hong Kong; Dr Wong Sing-wing is the Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Social Studies of the City University of Hong Kong; and Ms Wu Shuk-yin is the Headmistress of St. Paul's Co-educational (MacDonnell Road) Primary School.
"The experience and expertise of these members in their respective fields will surely give new impetus to ACAN and benefit its work in tackling the drug problem in Hong Kong," said Mrs Lo.
ACAN is the Government's sole advisory body on anti-narcotic matters. It was established in 1965 and has three sub-committees advising respectively on policies concerning preventive education and publicity, treatment and rehabilitation, and research.
ACAN and its sub-committees have a total of 58 unofficial members drawn from a cross-section of the community.
A full membership list of ACAN is as follows:
Dr Choi Yuen-wan, SBS, JP (Chairman)
Dr Henry Au Yeung Cheuk-lun
Mr Paul Chan Kam-cheung, JP
Mr Kenneth Ho King-man, JP
The Hon Ip Kwok-him, JP
Mr Patrick Lai Shu-ho, MH, JP
Dr Lam Kui-chun, JP (Chairman, Sub-committee on Treatment and Rehabilitation)
Mr Andy Lam Siu-wing, JP
Professor Kenneth Lee Kwing-chin
Mr Bruce Liu Sing-lee
Dr the Hon Lo Wing-lok
Mr Ng Shui-lai, JP
Ms Scarlett Pong Oi-lan
Professor Daniel Shek Tan-lei, BBS, JP (Chairman, Sub-committee on Research)
Dr Tam Wing-kun, BBS, JP (Chairman, Sub-committee on Preventive Education and Publicity)
Dr Wong Sing-wing
The Hon Henry Wu King-cheong, BBS, JP
Ms Wu Shuk-yin
Director of Health or representative
Commissioner for Narcotics
End/Friday, January 3, 2003
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