​This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN). ACAN and the Narcotics Division (ND) of the Security Bureau are taking the opportunity to co-organise a series of commemorative events, including interactive roving exhibition in education institutions and the community, community engagement activities and competitions etc, with a view to consolidating anti-drug awareness in the community. The opening ceremony of commemorative events series was held this afternoon (February 7) at Hong Kong City Hall.
Officiating at the opening ceremony of the commemorative events, the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, said that the drug problem was once rampant in reviewing the 1960s and 1970s. Since its establishment, ACAN has been providing advice to the Government and mobilising community resources, which has contributed significantly to the anti-drug work efforts.
Mr Tang said that the Government and ACAN will continue to respond positively to the rapidly evolving drug situation. He said, “The Government plans to gazette the listing of etomidate, the main ingredient of the ‘space oil drug’, as a dangerous drug in a week’s time, with immediate effect from February 14, when possession, vaping or drug trafficking is liable for very serious criminal punishment. Our law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have been well-prepared for it.”
In addition, speaking at the opening ceremony, the Chairman of ACAN, Dr Donald Li, said that since its establishment in 1965, ACAN has been committed to working with different sectors of the community to combat drug abuse and to “detoxify” the community. Over the past 60 years, ACAN has been diligently providing advice and reflecting on frontline observations to help the Government enhance the effectiveness of its anti-drug work.
Dr Li added that the drug trend has been complex and is rapidly changing. In view of the recent “space oil drug” problem, he said that “space oil drug” abuse has severe long-term harmful effects. It causes addiction, nausea, unconsciousness, and even death. He has earlier publicly indicated that ACAN fully supported the Government in stepping up the control of etomidate and welcomed the crackdown by LEAs on “space oil drug”-related crimes. He said he hoped that the control of etomidate as a dangerous drug starting from February 14 this year, as well as the increase in liabilities for relevant offences, will be effective in deterring the situation of “space oil drug” abuse.
The roving exhibition in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of ACAN is one of the events commemorating ACAN’s 60th anniversary. The roving exhibition adopts the concept of a time tunnel, taking visitors through different time periods to learn about anti-drug work in the past, present and future. The roving exhibition features a theme zone dedicated to the 60th anniversary of ACAN, in which a number of anti-drug posters produced between 1960 and 2025 are displayed. The poster collection will not only provide an excellent review of various anti-drug publicity campaigns, but also reflect the changes in design and communication strategies of anti-drug publicity in response to the development of society over the years.
The anti-drug black-and-white film “Suicide On Hire Purchase”, produced by ACAN in the 1960s and was once screened in cinemas, is also displayed in the theme zone. Famous comic character Old Master Q makes a guest appearance in the video, which portrays the story of the male protagonist who became a drug addict under the influence of bad company but was able to begin his life anew after undergoing treatment. Movie screenings were one of the main ways of conveying messages to the public in the 1960s. This video proves that ACAN was already well aware of the importance of publicity and education to anti-drug work in the community when it was first established.
Apart from that, a number of precious historical photos, anti-drug videos and anti-drug TV Announcements in the Public Interest are displayed at the theme zone, reviewing the changes in Hong Kong’s anti-drug work over the years as the times evolved.
Including the elements of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and multimedia, the roving exhibition is divided into different theme zones with games, digital exhibition panels and photo booths to share anti-drug knowledge with visitors, and provide them with information about criminal liability for drug offences, how to seek help and so on. By combining the historical part of the exhibition and incorporating the old and the new, visitors will be able to learn from the past and have a better understanding of the harmful effects caused by drugs after the exhibition visit, so as to stay away from drugs.
The first stop of the roving exhibition is open to the public free of charge until February 10 (Monday), from 10am to 8pm, at the Exhibition Hall, 1/F, Low Block, Hong Kong City Hall. After the first stop, the roving exhibition will be held at shopping malls in different districts and tertiary institutes throughout the year. For more details of the roving exhibition, please visit the dedicated webpage on the ND’s website (www.nd.gov.hk/en/ACAN60A_exhibition.html).
