HONG KONG: The government will roll out a trial program for a voluntary school-based drug testing scheme in September, in the wake of a spate of youth drug abuse cases.

Speaking after a meeting of the Action Committee Against Narcotics, commissioner for narcotics Sally Wong Pik-yee said the committee plans to talk to principals interested in the program next month and work with the Education Bureau on the details.

"Quite a few schools have indicated interest. We would like to look at their readiness as well. So it is not just a matter of interest because if you do go ahead to do the test, you need certain facilities," she said.

Besides the new trial scheme, Wong said the original one-year pilot scheme on school-based drug testing will still go ahead in 2010-11 school year as scheduled.

Committee chairman Daniel Shek Tan-lei said it will hand out a resource kit to schools in August to guide them to deal with drug abuse cases among students and how to help the troubled teenagers.

Wong said the trial scheme launched in September will be on a small scale since some groups may not yet be ready to provide rehabilitation service for a great deal of young drug abusers immediately.

She said it is still estimating the cost involved and will review the trial program after it has been run for a few months.

Authorities originally plan to roll out a pilot drug testing scheme in some secondary schools in the 2010-11 school year and a voluntary citywide scheme afterwards.

The Beat Drugs Fund Association started inviting research proposals for a long-term scheme last Friday. Applications will close at the end of next month.

In the first quarter of this year, 4,995 people were listed drug abusers, 18.3 percent of whom were aged between 16 and 20, figures of the Central Registry of Drug Abuse showed.

Some 5.6 percent of the drug addicts were younger than 16, figures showed.

Some 1,196 youngsters aged under 21 were reported as drug abusers in the first quarter of this year, 4.9 percent fewer than in the same period last year.

In response to the recent row on the relocation of the Christian Zheng Sheng College to Mui Wo, Wong said Mui Wo was selected after careful consideration.

Education officials considered other vacant village schools, but the sites posed obstacles ranging from lack of space, transportation facilities and confusion over ownership of the premises.

Christian Zheng Sheng College head Chan Siu-cheuk welcomed the introduction of drug testing in schools.

But he added that back-up measures should be provided along with the test.

"What are the schools going to do if their students are tested positive? Some students are still taking drugs even though they are under counseling. We need to have a detailed plan," he said.

Kwok Wing-keung, chairman of the Association of Secondary School Heads, Tai Po District, said schools in Tai Po will cooperate with the authority to implement the drug test.

"I hope it can serve as a deterrent to students. There should be mechanism for schools to refer students suspected of taking drugs for follow-up," he said.

Resources should be given to provide counseling and anti-drug services, and trace the source of the drugs, Kwok added.

(HK Edition 06/19/2009 page1)