Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony: notes of meeting on 15 September 2006 Appendix

1. Committee on the Promotion of Racial Harmony: notes of meeting on 15 September 2006 Appendix

2. Study on Drug Abuse Situation among Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. Socio-Economic characteristics of survey respondents Ethnicity Non-South Asian (24%) South Asian (76%)

7. Socio-Economic characteristics of survey respondents Age and sex % %

8. 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.

9. Drug abuse patterns Type of Drugs ever Abused %

10. 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.

11. Use of services Proportion of respondents who had used drug rehabilitation services in the past six months %

12. 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.

13. Social integration and racial discrimination Average scores on social integration and racial discrimination (0-100) More social integration More racial discrimination Average Average Less social integration Less racial discrimination

14. Service needs Average score on service desire (0-100) More desirable Average Less desirable

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Recommended service model • Community-based centres for ethnic minority youth, particularly drug abusers and ex-drug abusers • providing Chinese language training to young ethnic-minority 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.

18. Thank you!