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The Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, said today (August 29) the Beat Drugs Fund this year had allocated about $23 million for 68 projects to boost the fight against drugs at district level.
"In view of the worsening youth drug abuse problem, and the concern raised by the community, the Chief Executive has decided to speed up and reinforce the beat-drug efforts in five aspects: community participation, district support, law enforcement, provisioning of drug treatment and rehabilitation, and drug testing," Mr Lee said at the Wong Tai Sin Alliance Against Drugs Abuse Launching Ceremony.
He said the Wong Tai Sin Alliance Against Drugs Abuse project launched today was supported by the Beat Drugs Fund. The Home Affairs Department has also allocated an additional $500,000 for each district to promote district support.
He said the Wong Tai Sin Alliance Against Drugs Abuse project had demonstrated efforts in district participation and district support. The activities to be held by the Alliance covered preventive education and early identification of high-risk youths and youths taking drugs, thus realising the all-round and pointed anti-drug strategy.
"Concerted anti-drug efforts from non-governmental organisations and government departments can be strengthened at district level. This is only proper course to win the war against drugs," he said.
He stressed that parents played a role of utmost importance against drugs. The statistic that around 60% of youth drug abusers took drugs at their own or friend's home could not be ignored. The Narcotics Division of the Security Bureau launched anti-drug resource kits for parents, leaflets and websites in June and several talks and seminars had been organised. Mr Lee said the Alliance would also organise large-scale district anti-drug seminars and set up a hotline for parents to prevent drugs from intruding into families.
Mr Lee, accompanied by the Wong Tai Sin District Officer, Mrs Teresa Wong, visited the youth clinic at Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital after attending the Wong Tai Sin Alliance Against Drug Abuse Launching Ceremony.
Ends/Saturday, August 29, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:36
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