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The Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, today (June 25) officiated at the opening ceremony of the large-scale anti-drug event "Power Your Life, Fight Drugs Together 2016", launching this year's territory-wide campaign against drug abuse.
The event was co-organised by the Narcotics Division (ND) of the Security Bureau, the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) in support of United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 and to rally community support for combating drug abuse.
The event "Power Your Life, Fight Drugs Together 2016" aims to disseminate the message that every member of the community can play an active role in the anti-drug cause by unleashing positive energy and leading a healthy life. By showing care to family and friends, every person can help identify those with drug problems and encourage them to seek help early.
More than 1 400 young people, including members of the Junior Police Call and uniformed groups, students, representatives from non-governmental organisations, social services groups of the anti-drug sector as well as the education sector, attended the event held at MacPherson Stadium today. They pledged to join together to build a drug-free society.
Solar Ambassadors gave an energetic African drum performance at the event. A youth group sang to encourage young people to stay positive and strive to achieve their dreams. Singers Calvin Choy, Edmond So, Joyce Cheng and C AllStar also participated in the event. They called on youngsters to develop healthy hobbies and say "No" to drugs.
New TV Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs), aiming to encourage young people to adopt positive attitudes and stand firm against drug temptation, were premiered at the event. The TV APIs and the corresponding radio APIs will be broadcast on TV and radio from tonight.
Concluding the event, the Permanent Secretary for Security, Mr Joshua Law, and other guests led participants to chant the anti-drug slogan to show their determination to fight drugs together.
The event marked the official launch of the territory-wide campaign against drug abuse. A series of anti-drug publicity programmes will be rolled out during the summer holidays. To complement the new TV and radio APIs, anti-drug advertisements will be displayed on public transportation networks, at entertainment venues, and on online platforms and mobile applications. Giant wall banners will also be mounted on government buildings.
The ND and ACAN will collaborate with radio stations and organisations to deliver various anti-drug publicity initiatives, such as radio dramas, talks and visits to workplaces. The purpose is to raise public awareness of the drug problem, especially among young people, and to encourage drug abusers to seek help early. The Hong Kong Jockey Club Drug InfoCentre will continue to organise different activities to promote healthy lifestyles to enhance youngsters' resilience against drugs.
Other officiating guests at today's event included the Secretary for Security, Mr Lai Tung-kwok; the Permanent Secretary for Security, Mr Joshua Law; the Under Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee; the Chairman of the ACAN, Dr Ben Cheung; the Chairman of the ACAN Sub-committee on Preventive Education and Publicity, Dr Tik Chi-yuen; the Chairman of the ACAN Sub-committee on Treatment and Rehabilitation, Dr Susan Fan; Convenor of the Research Advisory Group, Professor Cheung Yuet-wah; the Commissioner for Narcotics, Ms Manda Chan; and the Acting Deputy Director of Broadcasting (Programmes), Mr Chan Yiu-wah.
Ends/Saturday, June 25, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:26
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