Hong Kong methadone clinics seen as exemplary
The success of Hong Kong's methadone treatment program has been held up as a bright spot in Asia, where aggressive drug policies continue to prevail in places such as the Philippines and Indonesia.
27 Oct 2017The success of Hong Kong's methadone treatment program has been held up as a bright spot in Asia, where aggressive drug policies continue to prevail in places such as the Philippines and Indonesia.
A new report by the Open Society Foundations' Global Drug Policy Program says Hong Kong's approach - rooted in public health and social support - provides an essential service to people addicted to opiates, decreases petty crime, and has also helped control HIV and Hepatitis C infections, RTHK reports.
The report's author, Dr Robert Newman, (pictured) says there's no reason other places can't replicate Hong Kong's model.
"Hong Kong has made it possible for any patient to access any clinic without any prior arrangement simply by showing the ID card. That's phenomenal, and it just never occurred to me."
Dr Newman said he tried to persuade colleagues in the US of the benefits of the Hong Kong system - but so far without success.-Photo: RTHK
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