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Agnes Lam

Martin Wong

Young and adult drug addicts would have to stay in the same centre under a government proposal to merge the detoxification services of two treatment centres in response to the rising number of young users of psychotropic substances. 
This is among 'a range of re-engineering possibilities' being considered by the Department of Health and the Security Bureau's narcotics division in response to the changing pattern of drug use in the city.
 It has raised alarm among social workers worried about putting naive teenagers under the same roof as hardened criminal addicts.
The department says the number of heroin users is declining, while the number using such psychotropic drugs as Ecstasy and ketamine is rising - but a 'relatively large proportion of resources' is still being spent on heroin use.
Under the proposal,  the detoxification ward at Yuen Long's Au Tau Youth Centre  for drug users aged under 25 would be moved to the Shek Kwu Chau Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre,  now used for hardcore adult drug users and considered to be underused.
'A range of re-engineering possibilities is being explored by parties concerned,' a spokesman for the Department of Health said, declining to reveal what other possibilities were being considered. 
The department paid HK$76.6 million last year to the operator of the two centres, the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers  (Sarda). The society estimates it costs HK$33.2 million to run the Shek Kwu Tau centre and HK$5.1 million for the Au Tau centre.
'The consequential closure of the detoxification ward - four bed places - in the youth centre would free up more places for intake of post-detoxification treatment of young drug abusers,' the spokesman said in a written response to questions.
Veteran social workers who have been helping addicts at the two centres are worried about the proposal. 
Au Tau Youth Centre superintendent Alexander Kwong Kit-ying  said most of the young drug users at his centre were referred by probation officers after committing minor offences. 'Most are arrested for possession of dangerous drugs, but they are not serious criminals,' he said. 'They are just teenagers who need some help to rebuild relationships with their families or get their lives back on track. They are naive and innocent and they just take drugs for fun and out of curiosity. 
'I am quite upset about the idea. The Shek Kwu Chau centre houses drug addicts with complicated backgrounds including former prisoners and triad members who have a long history of drug abuse. They might have a negative effect on the teenagers if they live in the same centre.' 
Case manager Leung Tak-cheung said young drug users at the centre and their parents were deeply upset about the department's proposal. 
'Parents are worried their children will be badly affected by the adult drug abusers,' he said. 'Also, rehabilitation programmes for young drug abusers and the older ones are different and they should be treated differently.' He pointed out that young drug users have to attend academic classes, while adult drug users might have to do more on-the-job training during rehabilitation.
At present, 16 drug users are undergoing rehabilitation at the youth centre and four are receiving detoxification treatment. 
Sarda executive director Mak Wai-keung  was worried that placing young drug addicts with hardcore drug users at the adult treatment centre might lead to more harm than good to the youngsters. 
He said young users would have to undergo detoxification at Shek Kwu Chau and rehabilitation at the Au Tau Youth Centre under the proposal. 'It is better for drug addicts to have a one-stop service at the same place. It takes time for social workers to establish relationships with the young drug addicts,' Mr Mak said. 
Shek Kwu Chau Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre superintendent Patrick Wu Shon-on  said the centre had 83 people in its detoxification ward, which had a capacity of 110. At the same time, 169 drug addicts were undergoing rehabilitation, while the centre had room for 206. 
'We do not mind taking in more admissions, but relevant measures must be introduced to separate the young and older abusers,' he said. 
The government spokesman said suitable arrangements would need to be put in place to separate the young and older drug users before the idea was explored further. 
But it gave no information about what these arrangements might be and management at both centres said they had also heard nothing of such measures.
Changing their ways
There are 16 young drug users undergoing rehabilitation at the Au Tau Youth Centre at present. The number undergoing detoxification treatment: 4



Plan to put  adult and young drug users under same roof