The Narcotics Bureau said on Friday that the number of drug offence cases among the youngsters under age 21 has risen by 18 percent in the first three quarters of 2008.

Commissioner for Narcotics Sally Wong said the government is contemplating a program of voluntary drug tests in schools. She also said the pilot program could start at least two years from now.

Prior to the launch of the program, the Narcotics Division (under the Security Bureau) will appoint a non-government agency to study in detail the related questions by talking to teachers, parents and also the students.

"We need to find out what the young people accept and do not accept with relation to the drug tests to see if the program is workable," Wong said after visiting the Kowloon East Substance Abuse Clinic, which is one of the two newly established clinics recommended by the Task Force on Youth Drug Abuse. The clinics provide one-stop services by psychiatric healthcare workers, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists and medical social workers.

Talking about the compulsory drug test, Wong said it is far more sensitive because it involves human rights, privacy and abuse of police power.

The government will publish a consultation paper to seek public views before taking the step, she added.

"Police and customs officers may conduct compulsory tests in the presence of parents and/or independent persons to prevent abuse of power," Wong said. "This can serve as carrot-and-stick for the addicted young people to undergo rehabilitation treatments."

Their initial thinking is that the young people will not be prosecuted the first time after they are tested to be taking drugs but their parents will be notified. But she did not rule out the possibility of prosecution if they are found committing the offence repeatedly.

Talking about the proposal of voluntary drug tests in government clinics, she said this is less complicated and can be implemented within the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Wong also announced that in the first three quarters of 2008, the number of drug abuse cases involving people aged under 21 rose by 18 percent from 2,312 to 2,729 cases year-on-year.

Continuing the trend of 2007, the total number of psychotropic substance abusers (6,478) was again higher than that of abusers taking heroin (6127). Ketamine remained the most common type of psychotropic substance abused, Wong said.

(HK Edition 12/20/2008 page1)