Abusers of so-called party drugs are learning how to use harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine at rehabilitation centres, according to social workers, who say the two sets of addicts should be treated separately.
'It's like they have transformed from a primary student to an undergraduate in the use of drugs after entering these institutions,' said Eddie Leung Yin-mai, a social worker from Caritas who specialises in youth drug abusers.
There are two Correctional Services Department (CSD) detoxification centres, one at Hei Ling Chau for men and one at Chi Ma Wan for women. The centres, together with 11 voluntary rehabilitation centres, put abusers of hard drugs together with those using the party - or psychotropic - drugs.
Drug addiction itself is not against the law, and addicts who commit offences to support their habit are usually sent to these treatments centres when brought before the courts.
Mr Leung said that although the percentage of psychotropic-drug abusers treated in the centres was low, the matter required greater concern.
The number of heroin abusers dropped from 13,588 in 1998 to 12,174 last year, while psychotropic-drug abusers rose from 3,412 to 5,524 in the same period.
Joan Liu Sing-hing from the Cheer Lutheran Centre said: 'The effect of Hei Ling Chau's treatment of the young psychotropic substances abusers is not good. It has widened their vision, allowing them to have contact with more kinds of drugs.'
