Presenter:Cindy Ng
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)
April 2nd is World Autism Day, a day to raise awareness and promote acceptance and inclusion for individuals on the autism spectrum. According to recent studies, autism affects approximately 1 in 36 children globally, and Hong Kong is no exception—there has been a steady increase in autism diagnoses over the past decade. Meanwhile, Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic disorders, occurring in around 1 out of 700 births worldwide.
One of the biggest challenges faced by the individuals with autism and Down syndrome in Hong Kong is the lack of accessible support services. The shortage of trained staff equipped with the SEN knowledge and skills and the lack of suitable facilities make it challenging for the community to engage effectively in physical activities that promote their health and development.
Factors such as low motivation levels and social anxiety can act as significant barriers, exacerbating their conditions and potentially isolating themselves socially.
What’s more, caregivers and parents, too, experience high levels of stress, as the demands of caregiving are immense and often go unrecognized.
At Love 21 Foundation, we saw how much the Neurodiverse community in Hong Kong were held back by stigma and lack of opportunity. Our goal is to empower our community members with opportunities to reach their full potential through sports, nutrition, and holistic support programmes. Our strengths-based approach, together with our personalized and tailored programmes, motivate each of our members and their families to take ownership of their health.
Currently serving over 500 families, we provide support based on the six pillars of our holistic model:
1. Sport and Fitness - We provide over 500 sports and fitness activities to members and their parents every month. Led by experienced coaches and instructors, our diverse activities ranges from dancing, bocce, boxing, circuit training, dragon boat racing to yoga. We even have competitive teams programme for members who are dedicated to improving their skills and potentially represent Love 21 in internal and external competitions.
2. Nutrition and Dietetics – Members in the neurodiverse community have genetic predispositions that put them at a higher risk of disease such as obesity and diabetes. Combining with our fitness programme, we provide continued support to members through regular dietitian consultations along with fitness classes, as well as nutrition classes, cooking demonstrations and seminars.
3. Enrichment and Intervention – Other than sport and fitness activities, we also offer therapeutic classes such as art and music therapy sessions for our members. These classes are held with smaller teacher-student ratios where members can enjoy a more quiet and therapeutic space or for those who require closer care and attention.
4. Family Support - Our parent beneficiaries play a huge role in our classes and out. We do all we can to support the parents and their children such as offering counselling sessions, parent-only and family specialty classes, peer support groups, as well as employment opportunities for our members.
5. Community – We help our members and families to integrate into society by providing volunteering and stewardship opportunities. We also bring our members to various community events and social gatherings which help members connect to the community and better integrate.
6. Education and Advocacy - We are expanding our outreach programme where we collaborate with schools, corporates, and other organizations to raise awareness and advocate for inclusivity. Our CSR programme is extremely important, reason being that our beneficiaries are rarely seen and often misunderstood. Volunteering with us enables the wider community to learn about the challenges as well as building a relationship with the neurodiverse community through participating at our regular activities and interactions.
I’d like to extend a heartfelt appreciation to our supporters who have accompanied us on this shared path for the past seven years.
We will soon be opening our third centre where we aim to expand our reach and offer a wider range of support programs especially for family services. I’d like to encourage everyone to get involved—whether it’s volunteering, raising awareness, or simply being more inclusive in your daily life. Together, we can create a society where everyone feels valued and empowered to shine.
And the song I'd like to dedicate to our community members and caregivers is "Not so different" by Cassandra Kubinski.
Presenter:Cindy Ng
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.
15/12/2024 - Cindy Ng, Senior manager, Program and Services of KELY Support Group