Anti-drug activities launched to fight juvenile abuse

With the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking one week away, the Social Affairs Bureau last week rolled out a package comprising of anti-drug activities aimed at local youth. Multiple private organizations are also joining authorities to combat increasing drug abuse among the city’s youth.
The latest survey on drug abuse among local youth commissioned by the bureau revealed a 2.48 percent growth in illegal drug use among Macau’s young students last year, while the number of outdoor drug abuses committed by teenagers has plunged by 18.7 percent in comparison to four years ago.
After yesterday’s media briefing, Hon Wai, who heads the bureau’s anti-drug department, once again renewed his call for parents to assist the local government in its efforts to stamp out illegal drug usage. “We expect the parents to vow to be an anti-drug ambassador online. At home, from the time their kids are at primary school, they need to stress and explain [to their kids] the damage brought on by drugs,” said the official, adding that they are willing to advise parents on suitable approaches to this topic.
The department head again stressed that the earlier kids are exposed to anti-drug education, the more effective the efforts would be, especially when the children are still in elementary school. “The influence of parents on their kids is relatively low in adolescence, as teenagers usually appear rebellious at that time,” said Hon.
Last year also saw a total of 568 drug abuse cases recorded, 68 fewer than in 2013. The most popular sorts of drugs being used over the year were heroin and ketamine. Nonetheless, local teenagers aged below 21 showed a tendency to take ketamine and ice, despite a significant year-on-year drop.
Asked if the bureau would impose mandatory drug testing in local schools, similar to Hong Kong’s pilot scheme in 2009 as part of which urine samples were collected from random students in a designated region, the official expressed the belief that existing anti-drug measures, which are far less controversial, adequately allowed authorities to identify drug users in schools. Staff reporter