What do you think of Hong Kong's waterfront parks? I refer to the report 'Waterfront parks come under fire' (March 10) and have to say that the problem extends beyond the waterfront. All over Hong Kong you can see ill-placed seating where a simple rotation of 45 degrees would have those seated looking at a fantastic view rather than a wall. It is the same with barbecue pits at Hung Shing Yeh Beach on Lamma, with the pits facing the power station. Had the barbecue area been built on the other side of the bay, it would have had stunning views and the power station would have been out of sight. The path from Yung Shue Wan to Sok Kwu Wan features seating that again faces the power station, ignoring the magnificent views just 30 degrees' rotation to the left. But you learn to have low expectations when even the grand projects of Hong Kong are so wrong but for a little realignment and a little more thought as to what people actually want. Katie McGregor, Sheung Wan Should the government provide defibrillators at all its facilities? Everyone agrees that portable defibrillators in public places can save lives. They are easy to use and laypeople can be trained to use them. The danger is when they are in the hands of the overzealous who are eager to try them on real people. I know of a few Vietnam veterans, for example, who think they are capable of handling all kinds of medical emergencies just because they had some experience during the Vietnam war. If they were allowed to use defibrillators freely, some poor comatose patients might get a gratuitous jolt of electricity to their normally beating hearts. Dr Feng Chi-shun, consultant pathologist, St Paul's Hospital, Causeway Bay What can be done to combat drug-taking in schools? The problem has become more serious, with an increasing number of adults and young people becoming addicted to drugs. We cannot ignore the problem, especially with regard to students, as they are our future. Schools have to pay more attention to the behaviour of students. They also have a role to play in educating their students to become more aware of the dangers and consequences of addiction to illegal drugs. Police officers could visit schools and tell young people the truth about drug addiction. The government also has to get the message across through the media. It should create posters and advertisements warning students about the dangers associated with drug abuse. I think if more is done to combat drug abuse, we will see gains made against this serious social problem. Ng Shu-ting, Lam Tin Even though schools try to educate students about the dangers of illicit drugs, some young people still take them. People who do this clearly do not treasure their lives, and there must be some underlying reason for this. It is important to find out what that reason is and try to help students deal with their problems. Students face many problems, with, for example, the break-up of friendships, homework and the pressure of exams. Often they have difficulty expressing their innermost feelings, and this allows stress to build up. Pupils who are low achievers cannot adapt to the pressures of life. They feel useless and have an inferiority complex. Some of them are drawn to drugs. The government should provide more resources to schools so they can help troubled students stay away from drugs. Also, the courts have to get tough with drug dealers. Schools must offer comprehensive counselling services, and these should include keeping in touch with parents whose children have a drug problem. There must also be a system of regular drug testing. Chow Man-hong, Tsuen Wan On other matters ... With the intent of clarifying the mysterious workings of the Buildings Department, let me share some information received from the Office of the Ombudsman in Hong Kong. It is the Ombudsman to whom we are told to write whenever we find the 'system' is not working. I asked the Ombudsman for clarification on why the Buildings Department was not enforcing the removal of unauthorised building works. More specifically, I asked why it was taking the department so long to enforce the removal of a recently installed, unauthorised neon sign outside a bedroom window of a residential building. For eight months now, letters from the department to the owner of the sign have not been able to enforce its removal. The reply from the Ombudsman was that it was 'not possible' for the department to get rid of all unauthorised building works at the same time. The Ombudsman would only take action against unauthorised works that posed an imminent danger or hygiene nuisance. So, based on this advice from the Ombudsman, we now learn the following two facts. First, the unauthorised placement of a neon sign outside the bedroom window of a residential building does not pose an imminent danger or hygiene issue and thus is not a priority. Second, if you do receive any notice from the department in relation to unauthorised building works, do not take it seriously as officers are too busy to enforce it. All this seems quite straightforward when only the department is involved. Just ignore the department, as it is too busy to enforce its orders. However, there are other instances where the department outsources its responsibilities to third parties who threaten those who have carried out alleged unauthorised works that they will be liable for the cost of the removal, which this third party will undertake. Presumably, these are not serious enough for the department to take action but for some reason it feels compelled to do so via a third party and is too busy to take the action itself. Given the threatening tone from these third-party companies, it seems people who face them are scared into removing their 'unauthorised structures'. Clearly, Hong Kong's systems for urban development are failing and there is no evidence of an enlightened government official who has the ability to provide real solutions. Dare Koslow, Central
