Transcript Proposal for a Study on the Drug abuse Situation among

Committee on the Promotion of
Racial Harmony:
notes of meeting on 15 September 2006
Appendix
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Study on
Drug Abuse Situation among
Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong
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Research Team:
Kwong-leung Tang
Hung Wong
Chau-kiu Cheung
(Department of Social Work
The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
In Collaboration with
Unison Hong Kong
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Objectives
To identify profiles, trends, behaviors, and characteristics of
drug abusers who are ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, with
special emphasis on high risk behaviors such as needle sharing;
To identify the social consequences associated with their drug
abuse, including its relationship with family and involvement in
criminal activities;
To examine the barriers for them to receive services such as
language barrier, discrimination, and stigma experienced; and
To assess the service needs of these abusers
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Research methods
Conceptual framework
Literature review
Questionnaire survey of 100 ethnic minority drug abusers
(recruited by referral and snowballing)
Focus groups / in-depth interviews with 19 service providers and
allied professionals, 15 ethnic minority drug abusers and 7 ethic
minority non-drug abusers
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Socio-Economic characteristics
of survey respondents
Ethnicity
Thai
1%
Filipino
4%
Non-South Asian
(24%)
Other ethnic
minorities
2%
Vietnamese
17%
Pakistani
3%
Indian
5%
South Asian
(76%)
Nepalese
68%
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Socio-Economic characteristics
of survey respondents
Age and sex
%
%
100
100
52.6
63.0
95.8
50
47.4
50
98.7
95.8
98.0
0
1.3
4.2
2.0
South Asian
Non-South
Asian
Overall
37.0
4.2
0
South Asian
Non-South
Asian
Age < 25
Overall
Age >= 25
Female
Male
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Socio-Economic characteristics
of survey respondents
About two-thirds of the responded abusers could
speak English and 28% could speak Chinese.
About half (52%) of them were unemployed.
On average, they had stayed in Hong Kong for 19
years.
61% were not married.
48% of them had previous conviction records.
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Drug abuse patterns
%
Type of Drugs ever Abused
100
95.8
85.0
81.6
80
65.8
64.5
60
57.0
51.0
40
33.3
20.8
20
14.0
11.8
4.2
5.3
4.2
5.0
0
Heroin
Marijuana
South Asian
Cough syrup
Non-South Asian
Solvent
Other psychotropic
substances
Overall
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Drug abuse patterns
Needle sharing occurring in 14.0% of ethnic minorities, with an
average of 2.2 times per week.
About half of the responded abusers experienced approaches by
drug dealers in the street, malls or parks.
The majority of them used services of the methadone clinic
currently (72%). The proportion of using services provided by
NGOs was relatively small.
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Use of services
Proportion of respondents who had used drug
rehabilitation services in the past six months
%
70
60
50
59.2
56.0
45.8
40
37.5
30
22.4
20.0
19.0
20
13.2
12.5
10
3.9
3.0
0.0
0
Methadone clinics
South Asian
Correctional Services
Department
NGO services
Non-South Asian
Hospital Authority services
All
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Situation of ethnic-minority drug abusers
Responded ethnic minority drug abusers encountered more or
less similar problems as their local counterparts. For example,
relationship problems with family members, difficulties in job
seeking.
Having trouble with family occurred more often among
respondents with more frequent drug abuse.
Problems such as committing crimes, sharing needles and
having conflicts with family were more common among
respondents who ever encountered approaches by drug dealers.
Focus groups subjects indicated that they were facing social
integration and language problems, like their ethnic minority
peers.
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Social integration and racial discrimination
Average scores on social integration and racial discrimination (0-100)
100
More social
integration
80
More racial
discrimination
60
52.5
Average
Average
46.7
43.3
40
34.5
Less social
integration
30.4
23.4
Less racial
discrimination
20
0
Social integration
Age < 25
Racial discrimination
Age >= 25
Overall
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Service needs
Average score on service desire (0-100)
100
More
desirable
80
60
57.6
56.3
55.8
53.5
52.8
Average
44.0
38.9
40
36.1
Less
desirable
20
0
Language
training
Peer support
Outpatient
Social
integration
Employment
Referral
Aftercare
Residential
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Recommended service model
Enhancing preventive education for ethnic minority
students
targeting at schools with significant number of ethnic-minority
students;
Enhancing drug education and knowledge on drug harmful
effects;
discouraging initial trial of cough syrup and marijuana;
facilitating collaborative efforts by teachers and social workers.
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Recommended service model
Outreaching and referral services for ethnic-minority
drug abusers
providing necessary language trainings to social workers or
recruiting suitable ethnic-minority as peer counsellors;
engaging ethnic-minority drug abusers in rehabilitation
services and preventing risky behaviours;
obtaining cooperation of parents of ethnic-minority abusers;
combating drug dealers;
decreasing influence of deviant peers;
preventing needle sharing.
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Recommended service model
Community-based centres for ethnic minority youth,
particularly drug abusers and ex-drug abusers
providing Chinese language training to young ethnicminority drug abusers;
using peer or co-ethnic interventions;
engaging ethnic-minority drug abusers in residential,
employment, referral and aftercare services;
engaging ethnic-minority drug abusers in healthy activities.
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Thank you!
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