Ketamine case in Hong Kong schools 'the tip of the drugs iceberg'

[enquirewithin]

Dealers recruiting students to sell as discos, nightclubs become too risky

Will Clem and Donald Asprey

South China Morning Post Jun 16, 2007

http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP...ucation&s=News


This week's ketamine-related incident at a Fanling secondary school is "just the tip of the iceberg", social workers and a legislator say....

Th article (not accessible with subscription) elaborates on this schools and drugs scare story somewhat.

4 students were found to have ketamine in a secondary school. There may be some cases where Hong Kong students try ketamine, but you can be sure there are no organized gangs of school children peddling drugs or dealers outside the local kindergartens selling heroin.

What is telling is that, despite widespread use of ketamine in Hong Kong and Shenzen (the nearest mainland city), there are few if any reports of hospitalizations or other significant problems.

Hong Kong has a very primitive anti-drug campaign shared with Southern China, focusing on "Just Say No!"

Here is an example in a FAQ.

Do drugs make you happy?

No! Many drugs amplify mood, so if someone is angry, anxious, or depressed, drugs could make that person feel even worse. Even drugs that are thought to have a calming effect (like alcohol and tranquillizers) can release aggressive impulses. They can also weaken one's social and personal inhibitions, causing one to act in a manner he will later regret. Violence causing serious injuries or deaths to the abusers or others, sexual offences and date rape are often involved with the taking of drugs.

http://www.nd.gov.hk/druginfo.htm