Task Force pushes for mandatory drug tests

Updated: 2008-11-12 07:31

By Peggy Chan(HK Edition)

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To combat drug use among young people, the Task Force on Youth Drug Abuse is suggesting compulsory drug tests on people "reasonably suspected" of having consumed dangerous drugs.

The suggestion was made in a report released yesterday that also includes a proposal for school-based drug testing.

"The primary purpose of the compulsory drug-testing scheme is to enable early intervention for treatment and rehabilitation, instead of facilitating prosecution," Secretary for Justice, and task force head, Wong Yan-lung said.

Wong said the plan can also be the key to tackling the youth drug-abuse problem, as the current anti-drug law enforcement has met obstacles.

At present, law enforcement agencies have no legal authority to conduct compulsory drug tests on suspects, without their consent, to find out whether they have consumed dangerous drugs. Such tests are also not readily available in the public medical sector.

"Compulsory drug testing is potentially a very effective means of screening and identifying drug abusers for crime investigation, treatment and prevention," Wong said.

The task force also suggested that enforcement of the proposed law should be subject to strict discipline and only be exercised by trained police officers.

Wong assured that guidelines would be given upon implementation. He said the officials would look at "evidence" such as the person's behavior and surrounding circumstances to determine if he or she warrants testing.

A consultation paper with details concerning sensitive issues and legal matters such as human rights, privacy and the implications on law and enforcement involved in the program will be produced for public consultation in early 2009.

Seeing school as an important platform to combat youth drug abuse, the task force suggested voluntary testing by mainstream schools, despite the problem still being at a moderate level, Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee said.

According to the Hong Kong Central Registry of Drug Abuse, about half of teenage drug abusers started taking drugs before they were 15.

"We understand some mainstream schools adopt a conservative view on the drug testing, due to technical and ethical problems, so professionals will be commissioned to tailor make a program voluntarily adopted by schools," said Wong.

Ho Hon-kuen, vice-chairman of Education Convergence, welcomes the drug testing approach, but he is opposed to testing all students, saying it would hurt their dignity.

(HK Edition 11/12/2008 page1)