Drug use and drug policy in Hong Kong: Changing patterns and new challenges

Abstract

This paper is a sociohistorical examination of drug misuse and drug policy in Hong Kong. It briefly traces the history of drug policy since Hong Kong became a colony of Britain in the nineteenth century, and then highlights the major drug issues that have emerged in the past several decades. Drug policy in Hong Kong has gone through three stages, from “Government Opium Monopoly” (1841–1945) to “The Prohibition Era” (1946–1960) to “Enlightened Prohibition” (1961–1995). The evolution in drug policy is analyzed in the light of both domestic and international social, economic, and political forces affecting Hong Kong. The major drug issue in the past two decades has been the trends of rising 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 from industrialization and socioeconomic growth since the 1960s, and the presence of conditions favorable to the demand and supply of psychoactive drugs. Lastly, major challenges to future drug policy in Hong Kong are discussed.