DRUG-USE AND DRUG POLICY IN HONG-KONG - CHANGING PATTERNS AND NEW CHALLENGES

This paper is a sociohistorical examination of drug misuse and drug po licy in Hong Kong. It briefly traces the history of drug policy since Hong Kong became a colony of Britain in the nineteenth century, and th en highlights the major drug issues that have emerged in the past seve ral decades. Drug policy in Hong Kong has gone through three stages, f rom ''Government Opium Monopoly'' (1841-1945) to ''The Prohibition Era '' (1946-1960) to ''Enlightened Prohibition'' (1961-1995). The evoluti on in drug policy is analyzed in the light of both domestic and intern ational social, economic, and political forces affecting Hong Kong. Th e major drug issue in the past two decades has been the trends of risi ng levels of drug use among young people and the increasing popularity of psychoactive drugs among young drug users. It is argued that these trends may be understood in terms of rapid social change resulting fr om industrialization and socioeconomic growth since the 1960s, and the presence of conditions favorable to the demand and supply of psychoac tive drugs. Lastly, major challenges to future drug policy in Hong Kon g are discussed.