THE new Beat Drugs Fund is to provide about $19 million in its first year to supplement the fight against abuse which figures released yesterday indicate is succeeding. Interest from the $350 million fund, due to be set aside from government coffers, will be added to the annual $450 million annual budget. The capital will remain intact. Members of the Action Committee Against Narcotics met yesterday to discuss the administration and management of the fund announced by the Governor in October. It is expected to be established in April next year, subject to Legco Finance Committee approval. The committee decided the fund should further drug preventive education, publicity, research, training, law enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation. Projects funded would be of a capital or short-term nature, lasting not more than three years. Applications would be invited twice a year, and monitored by the action committee after approval. Figures released yesterday showed a decline in the number of reported drug abusers for the third consecutive quarter year-on-year, down 11.1 per cent from 8,088 in the third quarter of 1994 to 7,191 for the same period this year. Drug abusers under 21 reported to the Government's Central Registry of Drug Abuse decreased by 9.1 per cent to 1,372 in the third quarter this year, compared to 1,510 last year. However, an increase of 1.4 per cent was recorded for previously reported young drug abusers.
