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The Fifth Three-year Plan on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services in Hong Kong was released by the Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau today (April 2). The Plan maps out strategic directions for government departments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to follow in delivering drug treatment and rehabilitation services from 2009 to 2011.
The formulation of the Plan was a consensus building process among relevant stakeholders. While the Narcotics Division had played a co-ordinating role, the drawing up of the plan was also assisted by a working group led by Dr Ben Cheung, Chairman of the Sub-committee on Treatment and Rehabilitation of the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN T&R Sub-committee).
Commissioner for Narcotics, Ms Sally Wong, said that various stakeholders had been engaged in the formulation process and their views had been incorporated in the plan. Recommendations of two major reports published in 2008 by the Director of Audit (Report No. 50) and the Task Force on Youth Drug Abuse, were also incorporated. The release of this Plan signifies a major milestone in taking forward the recommendations relating to drug treatment and rehabilitation.
ˇ§The Plan serves as an anchor point for service providers to reflect on their services and develop complementing strategies and programmes,ˇ¨ Ms Wong added.
The Plan consists of a number of major recommendations and key initiatives covering various areas of treatment and rehabilitation services, such as strengthening surveys and studies for a better understanding of the drug abuse problem, early identification of youth at risk and intervention, enhancement of downstream programmes in terms of capacity and sophistication, better collaboration between different sectors and modalities to ensure a continuum of services, resource realignment between services for heroin abusers and psychotropic substance abusers, and better co-operation and synergy between treatment and rehabilitation and other prongs of the overall anti-drug strategy.
ˇ§In view of the hidden nature of psychotropic substance abuse and the importance of early identification and intervention, the Plan calls for the promotion of voluntary drug testing.
ˇ§A research study on the proposal for a school-based drug testing for voluntary adoption by schools is expected to be commissioned by the 4th quarter of 2009. Voluntary drug testing will also be provided in Counselling Centre for Psychotropic Substance Abusers (CCPSAs) as part and parcel of the enhanced medical support of these centres in the 2009-10 Financial Year,ˇ¨ Ms Wong said.
With a rise in the number of psychotropic substance abusers, Ms Wong said drug treatment agencies were encouraged to re-engineer their opiate-oriented treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
ˇ§To ensure appropriate allocation of sources to meet the changing demand, a review on the resources spent on methadone treatment programme targeting heroin abusers and subvention allocation to the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers is recommended,ˇ¨ Ms Wong said.
Anticipating an increase in demand by psychotropic substance abusers, Ms Wong said the provision of treatment and rehabilitation service by the CCPSAs, drug treatment and rehabilitation centres (DTRCs) and Substance Abuse Clinics (SACs) should be enhanced in terms of capacity and sophistication. Anti-drug workers should be well-equipped and treatment and rehabilitation programmes should target drug abusersˇ¦ reintegration into society and seek to prevent relapse.
ˇ§The Administration is determined to address the increasing demand for downstream services. In 2008-09 Financial Year, additional resources were allocated to subvent 101 places in DTRCs. Two new CCPSAs and two new SACs were opened, making a total of seven of each of these two downstream facilities. In the 2009-10 Estimates, a provision of some $5.6 million has been included for providing medical support at CCPSAs and launching a two-year pilot project to provide more focused, structured and intensive probation service for young drug offenders. We will continue to monitor the changing demand closely to see what further efforts would need to be made,ˇ¨ Ms Wong said.
A patient-centred, multi-disciplinary and holistic approach involving social workers, medical professionals, educationalists, family members would enhance the effectiveness of the treatment and rehabilitation process. The Plan recommends collaboration between CCPSAs and SACs on a cluster basis.
The five prongs of the anti-drug policy should work together in a complementary manner.
ˇ§Community support will be mobilised through the ˇĄPath Buildersˇ¦ initiative for the reintegration of rehabilitated abusers.ˇ¨
The first four Three-year Plans were promulgated in 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006 respectively.
The full text of the Fifth Three-year Plan on Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Services is now accessible on the Narcotics Division's website (www.nd.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, April 2, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:05
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