Gov’t to adopt big data on drug prevention

Big data strategies will be employed to identify and follow up on hidden substance users, the Anti-drug Commission disclosed after a recent plenary meeting.

The strategies will be developed into tactics, which will be orchestrated to locate unknown substance users and thus conduct interventions. The direction will also help anti-drug departments and entities implement measures more accurately.

Efforts will also be made to improve identifying and testing the use of new addictive substances.

The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) presented data of the Central Registry of Substance Abusers in Macau for the first half of 2022.

During this period, 53 substance users have been logged, a 42% drop year-on-year. Three of the 53 people were youths, a 66.7% drop year-on-year. The three most popular types of substance were methamphetamine, midazolam and cannabis. 80% of substance use was conducted at home or in hotel rooms.

The IAS also disclosed that Macau has entered the final stage of legislative work on the eight newly-added internationally scheduled substances in the 64th session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and is also following up the legislative work on the newly-added internationally scheduled substances in the 65th session of the same commission.

In addition, the government actively cooperated with the countries to participate in international anti-drug affairs and participated in the 44th online meeting of the heads of anti-drug law enforcement agencies in the Asia-Pacific region as a member of the Chinese delegation.

The Taskforce against Delinquent Substance Use also reported on the progress of its work at the meeting. It was revealed that work has been done in the areas of preventing substance use among university students, providing emotional support to youths and elevating cooperation across the Greater Bay Area. AL