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The following is issued on behalf of the Action Committee Against Narcotics:
The RESCUE Drug Testing Scheme (RDT) public consultation will end on January 24 (Friday). A spokesman for the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) today (January 14) appealed to members of the public to actively express their views before the end of the consultation.
ACAN launched a four-month consultation exercise on RDT on September 25 last year. Under RDT, it is envisaged that when there are reasonable grounds, based on strong circumstantial conditions, to suspect that a person has taken dangerous drugs, law enforcement officers would require that person to undergo a drug test. The purpose is to identify drug abusers as early as possible and refer them to social workers or medical professionals for appropriate follow-up.
The spokesman said, "ACAN maintains an open mind on RDT and does not have any preconceived idea. Public consensus will be a prerequisite for pursuing the scheme.
"We urge different sectors of the community to give their opinions on the proposal before the deadline. Upon completion of the consultation, ACAN will analyse the views received and recommend the way forward for the Government's consideration. If there is public support for RDT, ACAN will need to consider further specific aspects of the scheme, including safeguards for individual rights in the system and the design of the follow-up mechanism, and may conduct a second stage of consultation in 2014."
The consultation paper has been uploaded to the RDT website (www.nd.gov.hk/en/acan/rdt.htm). Views can be sent to the ACAN Secretariat on or before January 24 by mail to 30/F, High Block, Queensway Government Offices, 66 Queensway, Hong Kong; by fax to 2810 1773; or by email to consultation@acan.org.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:48
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