Hong Kong - Young people are increasingly turning to dial-a- drug delivery services to obtain drugs from dealers in a shift that is making it more difficult for police to fight drug abuse, a media report said Saturday. Using mobile phones to take orders, dealers can reach almost anywhere in the city, including some of the outlying islands, within 30 minutes, the South China Morning Post said, quoting police and a social worker.
Ivy Chan, head of the Centre for Psychotropic Substance Abusers, said there has been an increase in the number of people using drug delivery services since the middle of last year, and about a third of 130 young drug users admitted buying that way.
"In most circumstances, the drugs are promised to be sent to a specified place within 30 minutes and the service is now available in all 18 districts, including some islands like Cheung Chau," she said.
Chan added that dealers would hide drugs in shoes, a trouser belt or a bra and either give the drugs to the buyer in person, or leave them in the buyer's home mail box. Cocaine and Erimin were the two major drugs involved.
A police spokesman said authorities were aware of the situation and took "regular action to deal with it. Education, information gathering and inspection are our major tactics."
The drug delivery issue was highlighted when government chief executive Donald Tsang announced plans in his policy address on October 10 to form a high-level interdepartmental taskforce to fight what is seen as a worsening juvenile drug abuse problem.
