簡介
Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focussing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
最新
Cindy Ng, Senior manager, Program and Services of KELY Support Group
The landscape of substance use amongst young people in Hong Kong presents a significant public health challenge that demands comprehensive attention. KELY Support Group is committed to youth drug and alcohol prevention, recognising the complex factors contributing to substance misuse amongst adolescents and young adults. We need to come to a consensus that addressing this issue requires collaborative effort across our community.
Recent data from the Narcotics Division reveals a complex trend in youth substance use. While the total number of reported drug users has decreased in 2024 compared to the previous year, the number of young drug users has increased instead, by 15%. This highlights the need for targeted intervention strategies. We must also be aware that these statistics may not reflect the real situation as there are more hidden drug cases, and alarms should also be raised for them.
Of particular concern is the emergence of "space oil", a substance gaining rapid popularity amongst young people. Typically packaged as e-cigarette capsules, it contains etomidate, a medical anaesthetic that requires a doctor's prescription. This drug has become increasingly accessible through digital platforms, emerging as the third most prevalent substance amongst youth in the first half of 2024. Specifically, 75 out of 452 young drug users reported using space oil, with cannabis and cocaine remaining the top two substances.
Over KELY's three decades of prevention work amongst youth, we noticed a significant shift in young people's attitude towards substance use. The changing global landscape, with several countries legalising marijuana and adopting more open discussions about substance use, has piqued young people's interest and curiosity about different substances. This is particularly noticeable amongst those planning to travel or study overseas.
Social media has fundamentally transformed how young people access information about substances. While these platforms provide unprecedented access to knowledge, they also present significant challenges. Young people often struggle to distinguish between credible facts and misinformation, leaving them vulnerable to potential risks.
At KELY, we believe that prevention and education is crucial, especially before young people encounter illegal or harmful substances. Our approach focuses on imparting facts, especially potential risks and harm relating to substance use for youth, enabling them to make informed decisions. We work closely with schools to provide prevention education, creating safe spaces where young people can openly discuss drug issues and ask questions, with access to credible knowledge.
We recognise that drug use is often linked to mental health, with many young people turning to substances as a coping mechanism for stress, relationship challenges, and other life pressures. Therefore, our work extends beyond prevention to support the development of healthy coping strategies and robust support networks. We aim to equip young people with tools such as peer support skills to navigate the complex challenges of their teenage years effectively.
Schools, educators, parents, and the community must play a comprehensive and collaborative role in drug prevention and youth education. This approach requires a multi-dimensional strategy that goes beyond traditional information delivery. Schools should include evidence-based, age-appropriate curriculum that integrates interactive workshops and mental health support. Creating early warning systems is critical to this approach, where staff are trained to recognise signs of substance vulnerability and provide confidential counselling without judgement.
Parents need robust support to effectively engage with their children. Workshops that teach communication strategies can help parents understand adolescent psychology, and guide them in creating open, non-confrontational dialogues about substance use. Community involvement is equally crucial, requiring coordinated efforts between local health services, youth organisations, and support infrastructure that offers accessible counselling, mental health resources, and mentorship programmes.
In the digital age, prevention strategies must also adapt to technological landscapes. This means developing verified online resources, interactive educational platforms, and social media awareness campaigns that teach digital literacy and critical information evaluation. Young people need tools to understand online risks, practise responsible digital citizenship, and learn to distinguish credible information from misinformation.
The underlying principle of KELY Support Group's interventions is prevention, empathy, and peer support. Our organisation recognises that addressing youth substance use requires a fundamentally different approach from traditional punitive measures. Instead, KELY focuses on building individual resilience, promoting healthy lifestyle choices, and creating supportive environments that address the root causes driving young people towards substance experimentation. At KELY, we believe that by developing a comprehensive and unified ecosystem of support, education, and understanding, we can more effectively prevent substance misuse and empower young people to make informed, healthy decisions that positively shape their future.
重溫
Jason Fan, Secretary General of the Hong Kong E-Vehicles Business General Association
Good morning. The Hong Kong E-Vehicles Business General Association (“HKEVA”) was established in 2017. “Promoting innovation, nurturing support and professional colleagues” has become our goal. We comprise of a group of elites from the automotive industry, power supply and distribution service providers. In addition, various universities professors and academics are also invited to be our advisory team. We strive to establish a solid platform for discussion as well as providing information and advice to facilitate the building of SMART CITY BLUEPRINT particularly in Smart Mobility with Green environment for better using and running of green vehicle technologies in Hong Kong.
Up to August 2024, there are over 98,000 electric vehicles registered in Hong Kong. It is a noticeable increase in the usage of electric vehicles, especially among private cars. However, comparing with the traditional fossil fuel vehicles, electric vehicles only account for around 10% of the total registered vehicles in Hong Kong.
The “One-for-One Replacement” scheme and the tax concession from the Transport Department are effective measures to move Hong Kong people to switch to electric vehicles. Back in 2018 when the schemes started, there were only around 10,000 electric vehicles in Hong Kong. Therefore, HKEVA would like the Government to continue the “One-for-One Replacement” scheme. The overall electric vehicle penetration rate in Hong Kong is still low at around 10%.
Transportation sector is the second largest carbon emission source in Hong Kong, just behind electricity generation. It accounts for around 18% of carbon emission in Hong Kong. Using electric vehicles can significantly reduce the roadside emission. Therefore, adoption of electric vehicles plays an important part in the carbon neutral policy of the Government.
Another benefit of using electric vehicles other than zero roadside emission is that electric vehicle is efficient. With the relatively low electricity cost in Hong Kong, drivers can enjoy lower fuel cost. In terms of maintenance, with fewer moving parts in the electric vehicles, for example, no gearbox, the maintenance cost for electric vehicle is relatively lower too.
However, charging electric vehicles remains the biggest concern for drivers to switch to electric vehicles as we only have around 9,000 public chargers in Hong Kong. Therefore, it is clear that there is NOT enough public chargers in the city.
For the future electric vehicle development in Hong Kong, HKEVA would like to suggest the following to the Government.
1. Continue the One-for-One Replacement and tax concession schemes. We suggest the Government to relax the requirements on Ownership and Licensed Periods for “Old Private Car” in the scheme so that drivers can join the scheme more easily. Although we recorded significant increase in the number of electric vehicles in private car, the conversation of commercial vehicles to electric remains slow. Commercial vehicles include light goods vehicles, taxis, mini-buses and buses etc... The usage for commercial vehicles is high but there are not enough models in the market for the drivers to choose. Therefore, more direct financial attractiveness is necessary from the Government to encourage manufacturers to develop and import more electric models for commercial vehicles.
2. Build roadside public charging stations over all 18 districts in Hong Kong. This infrastructure enhancement can help solve the charging concerns from the community. It involves works and approvals from different government authorities. Therefore, we encourage the Government to set up an Inter- departmental Working Group to solve the issues arising from the charging infrastructure development. We understand that there is a similar Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel. We suggested the Government to make use of this Working Group to solve the issues arise from electric vehicles development.
3. Battery is one of the key components in electric vehicles. The manufacturing and disposal of used battery are very controversial topics in encouraging the society to switch to electric vehicle. Therefore, the battery recycling industry is a very important element in the electric vehicle supply chain. HKEVA urges the Government to implement the Producer Responsibility Scheme on Retried Electric Vehicle Batteries as soon as possible. We support the Government to manage retired batteries centrally and locally. We also encourage the Government to setup a battery registration and identity system, record all imported battery. This measure increases the battery traceability and encourage recycling and re-proposing. Especially on re-proposing, it gives “second life” to battery and motivate different industrial and commercial innovative applications.
4. With more and more electric vehicle running on the streets, repair and maintenance support on electric vehicles becomes a concern for drivers to switch to electric vehicles. Therefore, it is important for existing vehicle maintenance mechanics to acquire new knowledge and skills on electric vehicles. On training and education, we encourage the government to put more resources in the newly enhanced Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Maintenance. Organise more relevant training programs and help existing vehicle maintenance mechanics and workshops to pick up the maintenance and repair works for electric vehicles.
And now I would like to dedicate to all of you a song "獅子山下” by Roman.
