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Party's over for rave drugs
| Rave reference: NB's SIP Paul Lewis with the drug info card |
Frontline officers will be issued with pocket-sized information cards on psychotropic substances as the Force continues its tough stance on so-called 'party' drugs.
Narcotics Bureau will soon issue the quick-and-easy reference guides which feature photographs and descriptions of the latest drugs along with a hotline for officers to call if further expert assistance is urgently required on the scene.
NB Chief Superintendent Henrique Koo Sii-hong said youngsters were turning to trendy psychotropic drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine, commonly abused at rave parties. Most abusers were under 21.
Some 369 ecstasy seizures (369,252 tablets) were made in the first six months of this year, compared with 150 (21,202 tablets) for all of last year, and 27 (282 tablets) for all of 1998. Mr Koo said to tackle the snowballing trend, NB has issued an Enforcement Strategy On Psychotropic Drugs, a paper informing management and frontliners on the background to the problem and on recommended enforcement measures.
"The increase in abuse of these drugs is clearly and inextricably linked to the burgeoning rave party scene in Hong Kong. Part of the strategy will be to keep frontline officers abreast of trends and regularly appraise them of what to look out for in new drugs," Mr Koo said, adding the info cards would be distributed in the coming months.
In the meantime, the photo gallery showing common drugs on NB's POINT website would be updated for officers to access the latest information.
Mr Koo stressed the drug situation was fluid and modern police forces needed to respond to rapidly changing trends.
"For example, frontline officers need to be aware of the differing profiles of abusers of psychotropic drugs compared to traditional heroin users. Whereas heroin is normally peddled in street blackspots or divans and abusers show the tell-tale signs of addiction, psychotropic drug abusers are normally the younger generation who congregate at entertainment venues such as rave parties, karaoke lounges and game centres, and consume the drugs therein," Mr Koo said. "However, they show no outward signs of abuse prior to consuming the drugs."
Stepping up enforcement, liaison between NB and Districts has been enhanced with joint operations mounted and anti-drug messages forwarded to the public. Meanwhile, NB was contributing to the Voluntary Code of Practice for rave organisers which would be promulgated by the Commissioner for Narcotics later in the year.
"It is hoped that with the Code being followed and with stepped up police enforcement there will be some serious headway made in eradicating drug dealing and abuse at rave parties," Mr Koo said. "Districts are also encouraged to regularly liaise with rave promoters and venues to enlist their support and co-operation in curbing drug abuse at rave parties. The Force is making a concerted effort to ensure rave parties are drug-free."