September 2011

VOLUME 3 | NUMBER 3

E d ito rial

hen does a bad habit become an addiction? Which are the top concerns in Hong Kong where addiction is concerned? What makes young people become addicted? Who can help them? How can rehabilitation be encouraged and relapse prevented? These are some of the key questions addressed in this issue of Youth Hong Kong. Addictions include both substance abuse and uncontrollable behaviour. For a youth service organization, the extent of drug consumption, over dependency on the internet, and other compulsive behaviour, are serious concerns. These concerns affect parents, teachers in fact, the entire community. Any young person who finds themselves addicted, compelled to follow and repeat harmful patterns of behaviour, is a young person in need of help. The message emphasized by specialists with the Federations new Youth Wellness Centre is that we must listen to them, with empathy, before we can offer suitable treatment. We must understand how they reached their predicament in order to prevent it happening again. We explore with young people, parents, doctors and social workers, the addictions and forms of therapy available in Hong Kong today, and we invite you to share with us examples and experiences from your own context in order to help build on what we are doing.

Dr Rosanna Wong, DBE, JP Executive Director, HKFYG September 2011

Youth Hong Kong

Overview
Hsu Siu-man

Young and out of control

Addiction implies loss of self-control and involves health risks. Statistics help us understand the prevalence of addictive behaviour in Hong Kong better, but alone they provide an incomplete picture. This overview, the profile of the Federations new Youth Wellness Centre, and interviews with young people in this issue endeavour to enlighten readers further.

Photos from Flickr (Creative Commons) and archive by tuxthepenguin84, Orin Zebest

September 2011

There is growing global concern about the increasing number of young people who display addictive behaviour. The five top concerns about addiction in Hong Kong revolve around compulsive behaviour with the internet or gambling, and substance abuse of drugs, tobacco and alcohol. What sets such behaviour apart from pure indulgence is that it is uncontrollable, involves the consumption of a harmful substance

Excessive time online is thought to be an impulse-control problem not unlike gambling addiction.
or behaving in a repetitive manner which can lead to undesirable consequences including social and psychological withdrawal.

Overview
Where consumption of a substance is concerned, that substance may not in itself be illegal. The use of alcohol and, to some extent, tobacco, is socially acceptable. Potentially habit-forming behaviour, such as gambling or video game-playing is not illegal either, except gambling by under-18s. In fact, of the addictive behaviours mentioned above, only the consumption of drugs is illegal. However, habit-forming behaviour becomes damaging if it is compulsive. of achievement that is missing in real life.

escape from pressure and boredom. They seek satisfaction and a sense

Local surveys vary widely in their findings but a Federation survey in 2007 found that 15.7% of local youth were at risk and 5.4% were problem internet users. Whether internet addiction disorder really exists is still a current topic of debate and there is no universally adopted definition. Worldwide, surveys reveal a prevalence of internet addiction of 0.3% to 38%.
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Data on drug abuse are based on voluntary reports and estimates of actual figures are far higher.
Risk factors: individual, familial and academic
The underlying causes of addictive behaviours are complex and beyond the scope of this overview. However, addiction to drugs, alcohol and smoking usually starts with one casual use, just as an experiment, often prompted by peer pressure. Much research has shown that at the individual level risk factors include sensation-seeking. At family level, factors include broken homes. At school level they include low achievement and poor peer relationships.
2 1

Drugs: official trends and actual figures

In Hong Kong, 80% of all new drug abusers are under 21 but official data show the number in that age group has dropped in the last few years.
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From 1992-2008, reported cases alone increased from 12%-25% of the total. However, data on drug abuse are based on voluntary reports and estimates of actual figures are far higher. Special local factors that contribute to drug abuse include pressure for academic success. Combined with peer pressure, curiosity, sensationseeking and break-down in family harmony, they contribute to the tendency to experiment with drugs. Types of drugs taken are increasing and the low cost and wide availability of ketamine, easy to take without special equipment, is specific to Hong Kong youth drug culture.

A report on harmful addictive activities in youth gives three other factors that contribute to a young persons susceptibility. First, adolescents tend to underestimate the dangers of substance abuse and potentially addictive behaviour. Second, there is the perception among teens and young adults that risky behaviour such as drinking, use of certain drugs, cigarette smoking, and gambling are associated with peer-group popularity, a perception that persists even when risks are understood. Third, there is the likelihood that differences in the way adolescents brains process information make them less likely to heed logical arguments against dangerous substances. So what are the addictive behaviours that most affect young people and their families in Hong Kong today?

The number of teenage smokers has risen, from 1.8% of their age group in 2009 to 2.5% in 2010.
Smoking: upward trend
Youngsters smoke usually because their peer group does. Not to smoke if all your friends do means loss of face, according to field workers. In their experience the best motivation for youngsters to give up is simply expense. Government measures to reduce nicotine dependency, including price rises, have been quite effective and a ban on smoking in public was introduced in 2007. However, despite the latest 40% price rise Hong Kongs tobacco tax is still well below that of advanced economies. The number of teenage smokers has risen according to the latest official figures, from 1.8% of their age group in 2009 to 2.5% in 2010. The

Internet dependency: an impulse control problem

The term internet addiction is often used loosely to describe excessive time online that seriously interferes with daily life. It is thought to be an impulse-control problem not unlike gambling addiction. Some social workers and counsellors see internet addiction as a behavioural problem, related to family life, poor parenting skills and adolescent rebelliousness. Underlying reasons may be the youngsters wish to

Youth Hong Kong

Overview
the other hand, that only 1% of all student respondents were pathological gamblers although 28% of them had gambled for money.
5

percentage of daily smokers of cigarettes who started smoking before they were 20 has also been on the rise, especially in females, from 57.7% in 2007/8 to 61.9% in 2010.

Effective help: commitment and understanding

While addictive behaviour is a worrying trend among young people, it is not irreversible. In fact there are more arenas for treatment and assistance than ever before. In a place like Hong Kong, help can even be sought anonymously through school social workers. What is also apparent is that no help will be effective unless there is both a clear understanding from the young addicts themselves of why they took the road to addictive behaviour, and then a clear commitment on their part to help themselves on the road to recovery and normal lives.

September 2011

Alcohol: correlations and screening

The risk of young people becoming alcoholics is much lower here than in the US or Europe. According to a comprehensive 2008 study this may be due to a genetic inability to metabolize ethanol. The young are most likely to drink in Hong Kongs parks or other public places, usually with friends. It is not difficult to buy alcohol even though it is illegal for under18s. Bars and clubs check ages, but supermarkets and convenience stores almost never do. According to a Federation survey, 80% of alcoholics started drinking before they were 20. Young men are four times more at risk than young women. Beer is cheap in Hong Kong and is increasingly popular with young people, as is whisky. They see it as a harmless way to lower inhibitions and relax in a socially acceptable way. Crackdowns on drugs may mean that more youth turn to alcohol and the strong correlation between drinking and smoking, and given the upward trend in smoking, mentioned above this is another cause for concern.
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Over a third of Hong Kongs population have gambled before they were 18.

8 21 8 20 1/3 18 1.8% 2.5%

80% of alcoholics started drinking before they were 20.

Gambling: perception, peers and family
Gambling is common in all Hong Kong age groups. Over a third of Hong Kongs population gamble before they are 18. Half the remainder started gambling before they were 29. Personal reasons and peer or family influences were the motivators. Betting on the Mark 6 lottery, horse racing and soccer are the three most popular forms with soccer betting a favourite with male students and young adults according to a Hong Kong Polytechnic University study.
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Note Ms Hsu Siu-man is in charge of the HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre. She has extensive experience in youth counselling.
Sources 1 Shek, Daniel TL. Tackling substance abuse in Hong Kong. Scientific World Journal. 19 December 2007. 2021-2030. 2 Massachusetts Department of Public Health. School Health Manual http://www. maclearinghouse.com/schoolhealthmanual/PDF/Chapters/Chapter14_D.pdf 3 http://www.hkfyg.org.hk/eng/press_releases/2009/cybersafety/index.html (in Chinese) 4 Official data on drug abuse in Hong Kong is collected by Hong Kongs Central Registry of Drug Abuse (CRDA), Narcotics Division. http://www.nd.gov.hk/ statistics_list/doc/en/t10.pdf For more statistics see Youth watch, pages 31-33. 5 http://www.smokefree.hk/en/content/web.do?page=ThematicHouseholdSurvey 6 http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/3/360.full.pdf+html 7 http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/eng/ys21.html 8 http://www.hab.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/policy_responsibilities/others/ HKPUFinalReport2009_e.pdf 9 http://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/press_detail.php?id=799

A large scale Hong Kong survey completed in 2010 revealed that 95% of marginal youth gambled and 22% would be classified as problem gamblers according to the standard definition in the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version IV (DSM-IV). Many of them did not view their gambling as a problem. This Chinese University Sociology Department study found, on

Youth Wellness Centre Highlight

First of its kind

The HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre opened in January 2011. This 3-year project with the Hospital Authority New Territories West is the first of its kind in Hong Kong, run by a multidisciplinary team with one-stop services and follow-up.

The professionals at the Federations Youth Wellness Centre give intensive counselling, psychological assessment and appropriate treatment for all forms of addiction.
Dr. Peter TK Tsoi, Specialist in Psychiatry, President, HKFYG Council

Youth Wellness Centre entrance

The Youth Wellness Centre (YWC) has specialists in psychiatry, clinical psychology, social work and nursing, offering clinical assessment and treatment to young people aged 10-35. The Centres work is based on psycho-social and medical assessment of internet dependency, substance abuse and gambling, with internationally validated tests and tailor-made tools for Hong Kong. The Centre also promotes physical, psychological and spiritual wellness through education and community work. Its staff recognize the importance of listening and understanding the perspective of the young people with problem behaviour who go there to seek help. They also help parents who do not know how to react or communicate with children whose behaviour seems to them to be self-destructive.

Signs and Symptoms of Addiction

Substance addictions are diagnosed when drug use or problem behaviour leads to clinically significant impairment or distress, and where three or more of the following symptoms occur within a year: Tolerance: the effects of a drug diminish over time Withdrawal: psychological and physiological symptoms when drug or problem behaviour is discontinued Habituation: continued use despite harmful consequences Failure or relapse: inability to reduce harmful behaviour Persistence: significant efforts to use addictive substance Retreat: social withdrawal because of problem behaviour
Source Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, London. Postnote: Addictive Behaviours. May 2010 . http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/ pn356%20-addictive-behaviours-corrected.pdf

Compulsive use of the internet

Spending sufficient time online to seriously interfere with normal family life constitutes the top area for concern at YWC. Parents worried about internet addiction report their experiences to YWC. Examples include children constantly playing games, watching videos, playing music, browsing, chatting or reading online. Such parents feel frustrated, excluded and concerned about their childrens health and progress at school. A quarter of those who have come to the YWC for help have called the police because their youngsters stay out all night or become violent if someone tries to stop them using the computer. A case of such a family is presented in the next article, pages 9-12.

H igh li g h t
Prevention. A case of gambling addiction dealt with by YWC is related in the story on pages 26-27.

Going forward
YWC would like to see a clear government drug policy and clarity of direction. A coordinated treatment model for all forms of substance abuse and other dependency disorders is needed to reveal gaps in existing services. The focus needs to be on effective, evidence-based treatment, based on definitions of disorders that are used worldwide. Developing a comprehensive policy which encompasses a consensus on treatment models is a priority. The HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre has taken the first essential steps in that direction.

Drug problems
The long-term effects of drug abuse on the body and the mind mean that parents and educators give it special attention. It is illegal, raises fears of connections with triads, and involves frequenting unwholesome parts of the city. At YWC, drug abuse is the second most important for concern. It is treated as a symptom of underlying problems. Evidence-based treatment includes motivation enhancement, cognitive behavioural therapy, familybased intervention, and relapse prevention. The articles about drugs on pages 13-18 come from outreach workers with HKFYG units.

Contact the Youth Wellness Centre

Tel: (852)2465 2828 Email: ywc@hkfyg.org.hk Fax: (852)2465 2466 Website: http://ywc.hkfyg.org.hk Address: HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre, 7/F, Rehabilitation Block, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong The HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre is funded by the Fu Tak Iam Foundation, the Home Affairs Bureau Ping Wo Fund and The Sir Robert Ho Tung Charitable Fund. (HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre)
Problem Internet Drug abuse Alcohol Gambling Smoking Others Total No. of cases 157 35 6 6 3 24 231 Percentage 68% 15.2% 2.6% 2.6% 1.3% 10.4% 100% Referrals received Cases offered counseling Cases requiring medical or psychological assessment Treatment groups Public talks and educational programmes 495 231 31 4 49

Smoking, drinking and gambling

The addictive properties of alcohol and tobacco, their deleterious health effects and prevalence among adolescent peer groups are widely recognized. Although Hong Kongs campaign against tobacco has recently reached a milestone, with only 11% of the population being daily smokers, smoking is trending upwards in teenagers.YWC has run antismoking health groups in schools and a habitual drinker who went to the YWC is the focus of the story on pages 24-25. YWCs work with young gamblers has grown out of a previous project, the HKFYG Gambling Counselling Centre. YWC will run a gambling education community project next year with about twenty schools and youth centres. It will also organize the 2012 Youth Forum on Gambling

Such integrated services are needed in the community today, where the stigma of addiction may inhibit those most at risk from asking for help.
Dr. Peter TK Tsoi, Specialist in Psychiatry, President, HKFYG Council
Acknowledgements This article was written with the help of staff at YWC and Dr Lam Ming, Consultant Psychiatrist at the Castle Peak Hospital Substance Abuse Clinic and Alcohol Problems Clinic. An interview with Dr Lam appears on pages 22-23. Staff at the YWC and the HKFYG Outreach units arranged and conducted the interviews with young people in the following pages. In all these interviews, except the one with Chan Wing on pages 16-18, names have been changed to preserve anonymity.

Internet addicts talk

Teenage internet dependency

Larry Lam, 16, spends too long online. After arguments at home he disappears sometimes. His parents once called the police but eventually Larry came homefrom the cybercaf. The school suspended him and his mother, desperate, asked the Youth Wellness Centre (YWC) for help. The centre has tests and assessment tools to help work out how serious the problem is.

Photo by Federico_Morando (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Larry: locked up online

In the past, parents worried about what happened when their teenagers were out of sight. Now, many of them have the same reaction when they stay at home. Teens can sit for hours at the computer, seemingly locked in another world, a world from which the parents are locked out. Trying to exert authority is fruitless if parents are unfamiliar with the internet world of youth. If their teens want to be secretive its not hard to hide what they are doing. It gets even worse when there are adverse reports from the school. If they have money and resent intrusion youth will go to mong ba (cybercafs).

I called the police the first time he was missing all night.

Larry is 16 and has been suspended from school for truancy and fighting. He disappeared from home and school for days, playing online games in cybercafs. His mother resorted to calling the police. She was only educated to primary level on the mainland and has a parttime job. Larry's father is a security guard who works long hours and expects her to do all the parenting.

September 2011

Youth Hong Kong

10

Addicts talk

Mrs Lam cares a lot about Larry, his problems and the fact that they dont communicate. She wrote letters to six schools, trying to get him a place because he didnt like the old one. She reluctantly agreed to his attending a Vocational Training Council course but he stopped going after a couple of weeks.

Mrs Lam It started about four years ago. Most of the time hes at home hes online. He says he watches movies and listens to music but I know hes playing violent games. I can see them. His father scolds Larry for behaving badly but it makes no difference. I was suspicious that hed got involved with a gang, so I started checking his mobile phone log. Sometimes I answer his

Larry I get really angry when she nags me all the time. I swear a lot and make fun of her silly oldfashioned clothes. Playing something like World of Warcraft or Nobol Gameflier helps me ignore her. When I get tired Ill watch a film or the news, listen to G.E.M. or watch them on YouTube. But most of all I like the games. Whats wrong with that? I learn about strategy and teamwork and Im good enough at it. Good enough to beat skilled players too. I play in a team and winning means they look up to me. When I win I feel better. We trust each other and they would never let me down. If I get to the mong ba I can borrow money or earn a bit.
Photo by Federico_Morando (Flickr/Creative Commons)

I started checking his phone log.

calls too, but the caller hangs up. I cut off his pocket money but he still goes out. Mostly to cybercafs, I think. That means he must be earning money somehow, doesnt it?

As soon as I escape from school I want to play, all night, till my mum and dad wake up the next morning and send me back to school.

Photo by Marc oh! (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Larry Once, I spent over 5 days at the mong ba. I ate there and slept there on the floor. It was very dirty and uncomfortable but I escaped her nagging. What good does she think it will do? They tried to find me but Id left my mobile at home so they couldnt. In the end I went home though. I was scared about the reaction.

Internet addicts talk

11

Larry I hate school. English and maths especially. The teachers always tell me off because Ive missed classes and cant catch up. Id rather do Chinese history and read about war. I like running as well and have won prizes for 1500m races. After spending all that time at the mong ba I had to make excuses. I said Id had a fever. They sent me to the school social worker. She was nice so I told her how much I love online games, that I can play for hours without noticing the time passing because it gives me such a lot of satisfaction. She seemed to know what I was talking about, unlike mum who hasnt a clue. Later on I met a psychologist called Charlotte. She did some tests. I know I'm weak but I can't help myself. Life is the internet for me. Thats all I want. As soon as I escape from school I want to play, all night, till my mum and dad wake up the next morning and send me back to school. Guess what? Then I fall asleep in class. Mrs Lam I called the police the first time he was missing all night. He must have been tipped off by someone because he came home on his own. He could barely walk, he was so tired. He was filthy too but we just let him go off to bed. What else could we do? If we criticize he just starts yelling and swearing. If we unplug the computer he goes crazy. We think someone outside school has been getting at him. Triads maybe. I just want him back at school. Now he plays more games than ever and has dropped out all together. Mrs Lam The school called me when Larry misbehaved. They are usually very good about him. It amazed me. The English teacher even offered to give him extra lessons at lunchtime and the disciplinary teacher gave him a gentle reminder instead of punishing him.

September 2011

Youth Hong Kong

12

Addicts talk

Compulsive online behaviour they called it. It seems like an addiction to me.
Mrs Lam But that was in the beginning. In the end they suspended him. He deserved it but Im not sure it was the best thing. Now he spends more time than ever on the computer. My only weapon is not giving him pocket money to spend at the cybercaf. Maybe its just a phase after all. He so defiant with me but he listened to the social workers and the psychologist. They say he lacks selfesteem and his behaviour is compulsive. It seems like an addiction to me. Still, I know he can do well at school if he just settles down. As to what happens when he gets to the new school, well just have to wait and see.

Larry In the end I suppose I got bored, spending so long on computer. Charlotte asked me to go to the YWC. I know they talk to mum and the teachers as well. Actually I dont really like swearing at mum and all that nagging stops if I turn down the sound on the computer. So Ive been having dinner with her and going to bed early. Maybe I can get rid of all these spots on my face if I eat and sleep better. Maybe Ill get into the running team in the new school too. Im not giving up online games though. Im good at it and its fun. I know I need to earn a living soon and I wont earn much money just spending hours on the internet. I know that. Im not stupid. But I still reckon itll help me find out what Im good at.

Advice for parents

Set a good example if you dont want children to stay online for long dont do so yourself Set (and enforce) clear rules about what kinds of sites are allowed and those that are not allowed Install software that blocks access to sites that worry you Talk to your child about the health risks of spending too long sitting at the computer Keep track of which websites your child is visiting Make sure that home computers are in open common areas, not in bedrooms Learn as much as you can about the kinds of online activity your teens like

Need help with compulsive internet users? Call us: 2465 2828

16 Larry 5 5 Larry Larry Larry Larry 16

Drug addicts talk

Photo by Kazarelth (Creative Commons)

13

How drug abuse starts

Rita first took ketamine when she was 12. Problems at home meant her parents sent her to a girls residential school two years ago. At that stage she started taking ketamine every day. One night, she met Yvonne, a Federation outreach social worker. With counselling she was able to give it up, but that was just the beginning. Now she is 16 and a couple of months ago she made friends with a new group of drug users and fell for the dealer, a good-looking boy. She took Ice and has entered a new phase of addiction. She realizes how hard it is to stop and she gets scared. Scared enough to talk to an HKFYG outreach worker, but not scared enough to stop yet.

How did it begin?

I was just curious really. When I first took K* it was at school. It made me feel light as air, relaxed. I forgot my problems and my teachers didnt do anything to stop me. I dont think they knew. Then it wore off and there were no bad side effects so I did it again. When I met Yvonne, she told me about the risks and tried to help me give it up.

Now, my whole life seems to revolve around drugs. Ive tried so many things. Drugs seem to have a hold on me. I don't even really understand why I do it but Im not sure that I really want to give up. It would mean not seeing Ronald wouldnt it.

Where do you get drugs now?

We meet Ronald or another chak ga in stairwells at housing estates and then go to an upstairs bar in TST, a den or a private flat where we can stay overnight, in Mong Kok, Sheung Wan, Central or Causeway Bay. Sometimes we play* at karaoke bars, on the stairs, in the toilets, at each others homes, even during lessons.

What do you take now?

Recently, I got in with a different group. They all took drugs and I really like the chak ga*, Ronald. Since then Ive been taking Ice, cocaine, cannabis and candies*.

September 2011

Youth Hong Kong

14

Addicts talk

Photo by Erika (Creative Commons)

Drug dealing

How much do you pay?

Ronald doesnt cheat or harass us for sex like some of them. Usually we get enough to share between three of us for $100. Sometimes we dont pay anything. I know its illegal because Im 16 now. But so far its all been so easy.

When I took it I started seeing things, hallucinating, wandering off round the park. It felt like being in many other places. Friends who saw me said I acted completely crazy. Sometimes it gets scary. You can see the furniture moving and once my uncle, who has passed away, was there. He looked so real. With hallucinations you might see anything. Even the air moving.

What sort of effects does ketamine have?

My usual dose keeps me high for 10-15 minutes. I might chase* it with another. The biggest dose Ive ever had at one time was half a bone.* That had serious effects on me. If you mix K with drinks youll vomit but if youre careful its like flying, you get into the K-hole.*

What are the other bad things about drugs?

I worry about the police, and how my parents would feel if they knew. I dont like the way Ice turns your skin dry and yellow and makes you itch. You scratch and get scabs and sores on your face. You get thin and ugly even if you only do Ice about once a week. I started getting black-outs too and that scares me.

On Ice... you see the furniture moving... once, I saw my uncle but he's passed away...

Who knows?
Nobody at home asks me openly but I think they are suspicious. My little brother saw some K once. He was curious, but I lied and told him it was no problem. I still find it easy talking to Yvonne though.

What about other drugs?

These last few months, since I turned 16, Ive been doing Ice. Its really different. It makes you feel full of energy. You lose all your inhibitions and it lasts a lot longer than K. You can play on Ice for more than ten hours.

How do you feel about yourself?

I know it would make mum cry if she knew what I do. She couldnt bear the shame, and her neighbours and friends would despise her. Its the

Drug addicts talk

*Drug jargon
bone = a measurement of drug quantity candies = Ecstasy, also known in Cantonese as fing tao cannabis = dai mai in Cantonese chak ga = dealer chase = take a follow-up dose as a "chaser" soon after the first cocaine = hor lok in Cantonese Ice = [crystal] Meth [amphetamine] bing, in Cantonese K = ketamine also known as K jai Nimetazepam = a benzodiapine, ng jai (No. 5) in Cantonese K hole = a subjective, hallucinatory, psychedelic experience; like flying to play = to take drugs and get high one really strong reason I have for trying to give up. I understand that drugs are bad for you and I accept Yvonnes advice but Ice is a real temptation. It makes me want to sneak out late on Saturday nights and sneak back in, early the next morning. Then I can just sleep it off all day Sunday so that Im OK to go to school on Monday. Most of the time it feels OK. feel hooked.

15

My new friends, like Ronald, are a big reason. Playing with my friends a few years ago was great but its changed now. Theyve stopped, but I

Dont you ever think about the risks?

Yvonne told me to imagine getting arrested at friends place, but Ive got away with it so many times. I keep looking for something to help me be more determined. Ive tried so many things to distract me, family, friends, social workers, studying. Theres one nightmare I have though. Its being arrested. I cant bear the thought of my parents coming down to the police station to pick me up. I know Im pushing my luck. I want to find a way out before its too late.

Do you think things will change?

My friends stopped when they saw how bad their skin was. Mines not good either. Yvonne warned me and Ronald has told me not to take so much.

you scratch and get scabs and sores on your faceyou get thin and ugly
Its hard to resist but I didnt go out to play last week. When I start thinking about my exams next year, I really do want to stop. Well, sometimes I do, anyway. And my friends try to persuade me too now.

Do you think your friends were the main reason for you to get into drugs?

Rita 17 K Rita Yvonne Rita See pages 16-18 for another side of drugs.

If you need help with a young drug user, call 2487 0151

Youth Hong Kong

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Addicts talk

Award winner and former drug user

September 2011

Congratulations to Chan Wing, a former drug abuser who has made a complete turn-around. This is the story of her road to recovery and re-integration. Last year she became a Felix Wong Award winner, in recognition of the strength she showed to conquer her past dependencies and contribute to her community.
One night a friend asked if I wanted to try dai ma (cannabis). Maybe I took it because I was unhappy at home and always in trouble at school. Anyway, it helped me forget all about that. I just felt light-hearted and happy so I kept taking it. That was when I was 11, just after arriving at secondary school. By the time I was thirteen I was hooked. I tried lots of other drugs, like fing tao (Ecstasy), k jai (ketamine), ng jai (Nimetazepam), bing (Methamphetamine) and hor lok (cocaine). Nothing seemed real when I was high on ketamine. Fing tao made me feel full of energy and passion. Ng jai was different. It was easy to get angry and very emotional. After a while I started to have hallucinations and hear voices. Things got complicated.

Names used in this story are real, unlike those in the other stories.

Drug addicts talk

17

Two steps forward

The police picked me up outside the school, but found nothing on me. They didnt press charges but that's when I got to know the school social worker. My parents were very upset and begged me not to take drugs. It didnt stop me though. Anna, an outreach worker started talking to me regularly after that. She became a friend. She really seemed to care. After a while, when we met on the street, I was less defensive and started talking to her about taking drugs.

Belief in change
It took about a year to get to know myself and to see the importance of positive thinking. I had already lost a lot and wasted so much time. I knew I had to learn from my mistakes or regret them for the rest of my life. Anna gave me determination and confidence to do it. When I was 16 I drew up a plan for quitting, for stopping being hot-tempered and for being less self-centred. I started going to classes and doing volunteer work. Bit by bit I learned how to get along with others, be more patient and control myself. began to believe that I could change.

promised myself I would face up to challenges in future and be good to my mother, treasuring what I have and working hard so there will be no more regrets.

Old friends have tried to tempt me each time it happened that sense of regret came back and it made me stronger.
I started going to church while I was quitting. Friends there made me feel cared for and loved. Whenever things get hard or I feel sad, just talking to them makes me feel better. Religion also helped me to learn the lessons of the bible and the love of Jesus Christ. All together this made me live more positively with the confidence to face up to drug withdrawal symptoms.

Cannabis helped me forget so I kept taking it. That was when I was 11, just after arriving at secondary school. By the time I was 13 I was hooked.
Twice expelled
But when I was 15, still in Form 2, I was expelled for behaving badly. I began the TEEN Programme at the Youth College and started doing the Diploma in Vocational Education Programme in hairdressing. I began to see what harm drugs could do and that there could be other ways of solving my problems, but I was expelled again because I didnt quit and was found out. Next thing, I overdosed on ketamine and passed out on the street. It wasnt the only time it happened. I ended up in hospital. Once, they put me into the psychiatric ward. It really scared me.

Giving up regrets
Anna, the social worker convinced me. I cut down the amount I took and how often. Anna arranged a medical check-up for me and I saw that drugs had been making me forgetful and slow. It shocked me to find I had an IQ of just 78. That did it. I quit. I worked out with Anna for how to say no to drugs and rebuild a healthy life. I enrolled in a pre-employment training programme and got a trainee job in a hairdressers soon after finishing the course.

Out from under

I became a volunteer and taught juggling to children and seniors alike. In return, they taught me patience. I also gave the elderly free haircuts. I enjoyed it and they liked what I did. Volunteering has changed my life in a way I never expected. When I looked after the old and the mentally ill and saw how they all coped with their troubles I learned to be more considerate and tolerant of their slowness and deafness. Quitting was a long, hard process, more than two years all together. Old friends have tried to tempt me back and sometimes Ive been weak. But each time it happened that sense of regret came back and it made me stronger.

Family, faith and confidence

When I was in hospital after the last overdose, I got a call to say my father was seriously ill with cancer. When I saw him I realized how much my family and their support meant. When they scolded me it was because they were worried. Now I regret the way I treated them and it makes me more determined than ever to change. When my father passed away, I

Youth Hong Kong

18

Addicts talk
Life after drugs
That was all about 2 years ago. Im 19 now. I have taken part in drug abuse seminars and sharing sessions with young drug addicts. They listened carefully and I think I helped them. Last summer I went to Taiwan with the Caring Dragons* and saw how powerful some people are in response to disaster and hardship.

Former drug addict, Chan Wing

September 2011

Everyone has problems. The solutions lie in your attitude to them.

Good, for a change
Now I spare more time for my family, especially my mother. I see myself growing up while every day my mother gets older. If I could send a message to other parents Id say, Dont be too tough when you want to teach your kids a lesson. Try to put yourself in their shoes and understand why they do as they do. To teachers Id say, Stay tuned into the channels young people listen to and think from their perspective. If you understand their potential and can give them opportunities, they might develop all sorts of talents. My message for the young people I meet who are tempted by drugs is that happiness comes from simple things, like caring more about the society we live in and people around us.

Chan Wing was one of the 2010 Felix Wong Youth Improvement Award winners. The award is given annually to those who have made a great effort to overcome crisis, misfortune or hardship. Stories of the award winners are published by HKFYG every year and the 2010 volume, Sunshine in Lifes Jigsaw, costs HK$60. Call 3755 7108 to order a copy.

Wing Rita Rita Wing Wing *For more on the Caring Dragons see pages 50-51.
Note Real names have been used in this story.

Drug addicts talk

19

Drug rehabilitation: a view from inside

by Anthony Lai, University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong 200 Leadership Project action groups go into the community to offer services and find out about life. This law student speaks of meeting students in a drug rehabilitation school, the Christian Zheng Sheng College, and of their battles to quit.

Under the influence of drugs they were trapped in despair and agony. More drugs seemed the only way out. Death held out its hand, and nearly pulled them away, but at a critical moment, between life and death, a ray of light brought new hope. Christian Zheng Sheng College (CZSC) is not unfamiliar to Hong Kong people. Many know of the heated debate about relocating its campus and concern over financial matters, but the College is best known for its mode of drug-quitting services.

September 2011

Youth Hong Kong

20

Addicts talk

New hope
Remote from urban Hong Kong, the campus is split in two, one part on the Chi Ma Wan Peninsula, in a hidden harbour on Lantau Island, another on Cheung Chau. Students are aged 13 to 28 and most of them are on probation after being convicted for drug-related and other offences. The rest enter the school voluntarily. Currently, there are 70 male students On the way to Christian Zheng Sheng College and 27 female students.

While working side by side we found out about their past, their reasons for taking drugs, the turning points in their lives.

While working side by side with them, mending and maintaining the campus facilities and grounds, we found out about their past, their reasons for taking drugs, the turning points in their lives and their future goals. Most of them had complicated family backgrounds. Some had single parents. Others became connected with triads drug suppliers. Most of them had their first experience of drugs when persuaded by friends. It was rather surprising to realize that not all had enjoyed the experience. One said he had seen everything whirling around him after taking ketamine. It had been terrible. He said he would rather take cannabis or Ice. Nevertheless, many didn't give up, but to pay for drugs they became pushers themselves. Lunch prepared by students

Drug addicts talk

21

Determination to change
Several of the students had gone to CZSC voluntarily. One young woman already had two children. She said she went to the school for her mothers sake because she still believed in her, despite all the mistakes. Another student also said he went there because of his mothers love. We could feel a definite sense of determination in these students, determination to change. Most of them had clear plans. One said he would like to become an undertaker. Another planned to study accounting. It was amazing to see those once lost and fallen able to stand up again and face life proactively with courage. Yet they worry about going back on drugs in the future. Some were afraid that when they left the school, they would meet friends from their past who would lead them astray. One said that the loss of psychological support might mean he needed drugs again. Although we saw how remorseful these rehabilitated youth are, and how determined they are to change, they still need us in the community to support and accept them. We just hope they will be brave in future, and never go back to drugs. work gloves for evergone

One young woman already has two children. She told us she went to the school for her mothers sake because she still believed in her despite all the mistakes.

Rehabilitation for Young Drug Abusers

The Hong Kong 200 Association, whose members are past participants of the HKFYG Hong Kong 200 Leadership Project, set up this taskforce of twelve university and high school students in August 2009. It provides services to rehabilitating young drug abusers with a collection of teaching materials and tutorial classes. It also promotes social reintegration and acceptance of rehabilitated young drug abusers. Taskforce members have been visiting the Christian Zheng Sheng College, a well-known, non-subvented religious rehabilitation centre. The majority of its intake are referred by the courts.

200

Substance abuse: the specialists perspective

Dr Lam Ming, Consultant Psychiatrist at Castle Peak Hospital Substance Abuse Clinic and Alcohol Problems Clinic, told Youth Hong Kong about his experience with young drug abusers and his collaboration with social workers at the HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre.

September 2011

Youth Hong Kong

22

Interview

Dr. Lam Ming

Why is substance abuse a problem in HK youth?

Systematic official information on drug abuse is based on voluntary reports. They reveal trends but that is only the tip of ice-berg. Three major factors contribute to the extent of the problem here: the drugs taken, the individuals concerned and their place in society. First, young users think they can control themselves with affordable drugs like ketamine, even though these drugs can induce strong psychological dependence if used regularly. Second, todays younger generation lead relatively sheltered lives, have low stress tolerance and rather weak coping skills. Drugs offer escape and those curious about new experiences can be tempted by their peers. Third, in a well-developed society like Hong Kong, poor prospects for youngsters without enough education may be a problem.

Do Hong Kongs young substance abusers tend to deny they have a problem?

The key question is whether we can provide timely help when they are motivated to accept it.
In my clinical experience, cases of outright denial are fewer than commonly believed. Actually, many young drug abusers agree that drugs are harmful. They dont stop because they see no obvious major problems and ignore possible future complications. However, when the young develop significant side-effects, such as frequent urination after taking ketamine, they are rather more ready to seek help. The key question is whether we can provide timely help when they are motivated to accept it. However, some refuse even timely help. They see no reason to change or may have tried but failed, repeatedly, and believe they will never have a stable job or family life even they did manage to give up drugs.

Inte rv ie w

23

Are Hong Kong substance-dependent teens different from elsewhere?

Yes, there is less drug abuse in youth here compared to western countries. Ketamine and cough mixture are common in Hong Kong, unlike elsewhere, and overall, young drug abusers here are quite respectful of doctors authority.

To achieve this, our clinic has a case nurse system unique in Hong Kong. Each patient has a designated nurse to act as a contact point for all relevant parties. The case nurse follows through the treatment, outpatient and in-patient, and informs the case doctor of any significant issues.

What forms of treatment do you recommend?

First, there must be motivation and willingness. Our strategies reduce harm and relapse. They include cognitive behavioural therapy and medications such as Naltrexone for opiate abusers, and Disulfiram for alcohol abusers. We recommend a period of residential rehabilitation for those who relapse repeatedly. Improved family relationships and useful activity are also very important.

When they tell us what drugs do for them, and why they dont give up, we try to understand.
Can you tell us about a memorable case?
A mainland teenager who took drugs before coming to Hong Kong found it difficult to adapt. He was caught with drugs repeatedly by the police and referred to our clinic at about the same time as a girlfriend, also a drug abuser, but mentally ill. With our support and treatment, they both agreed to residential rehabilitation in different hostels. Then the boy told us his girlfriend had requested discharge to meet her ex-boyfriend. Infuriated, he absconded from the hostel despite being on probation, planning to kill the other boy. We managed to change his mind. He and his girlfriend agreed to complete residential rehabilitation. They eventually got married and had a baby girl. It was hard for them, to find a home and a living, not to speak of the girls psychological condition. Nevertheless, with concerted efforts they have been off drugs, living stable lives for several years.

Have you generally met with success?

Not always. There was a sad case of a young man in his early twenties. He took various psychotropic drugs and had psychotic symptoms. He was hospitalized several times but took drugs again soon after each discharge. Finally, he went to a half-way house but didnt complete the programme. Instead, he discharged himself, was picked up by the police, charged for possession of dangerous drugs and ended up back in hospital with drug-induced psychosis. Even though we strongly advised residential rehabilitation he refused, as did his parents. He discharged himself again and a few days later, he committed suicide.

How do you communicate with patients?

Professionals, especially doctors, tend to talk to patients in a didactic and authoritative manner. This does not usually work with substance abusers. We listen carefully, with empathy. When they tell us what drugs do for them and why they dont give up, we try to understand, and reflect with them on their problems.

Are services in Hong Kong modeled on similar services elsewhere?

No. They have developed piecemeal and are rather fragmented but we are quite advanced in some ways. Many other countries have learned from us. What we now need is an overarching government policy on drug abuse, good coordination and a clear direction.

What follow-up is most effective?

A standard 20-minute consultation is not enough to reveal feelings in any depth so any young substance abuser who comes to my clinic is referred to an outreach social worker. They meet in a normal environment and both the social worker and medical professionals can stay in contact family, friends, workplace or school. A collaborative approach is the cornerstone of effective follow-up. K

Youth Hong Kong

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Addicts talk

A high risk drinker

Social drinking is acceptable and enjoyable. If it turns into dependency it ruins lives. Underlying problems from which alcohol provides an escape, can be masked. Treatment, which deals with the whole person, can help prevent relapse.
The final straw came when he passed out in public and woke up in hospital, brought in by the police. Tung realized he needed help and that he needed to find it on his own. No one was going to do it for him. Seeing a newspaper article about the HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre (YWC), he made an appointment. The first meeting was simply a consultation. The next time, he came in drunk and lost control. As a last resort, the YWC team suggested Castle Peak Hospital.

Photo by hiromy (Flickr)

September 2011

it started with a few cans of beer.

Tung is 29. His drink problem began when he was 18 and was working as a skilled mechanic. He got arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour and was fired. Next, he became a truck driver, but after hours of concentration he needed to wind down. He also had problems dealing with people, his girlfriend and family included. Tungs way of solving the problems started with a few cans of beer, but soon escalated, till he drank far too much and was at risk of becoming a dangerous driver.

Last resort
Tung agreed. He stayed for three weeks as a voluntary patient. It wasnt easy. He would wake up at midnight and lie restless for hours, unable to sleep. Withdrawal meant he was plagued by itching skin. He craved alcohol. He felt imprisoned.

What causes alcoholism

Changes during puberty Impulsiveness Beliefs about alcohols effects Desire for new sensations Sensitivity to positive effects of alcohol Tolerance to negative effects Hereditary factors Environmental factors Mood swings

Escaping underlying problems

Drinking relieved the tedium of work for Tung. It flattened out the emotional mood swings that perplexed him and stopped him feeling hed failed. He tried drugs too but drinking was a lot safer and cheaper, as long as he wasnt caught drinking at work. Then his moods began changing more and more. He didnt know why. Soon he felt he couldnt cope without a drink. A few cans became many. A dozen, two dozen. Sometimes he lost count, he forgot where hed been and what hed been doing. He began hallucinating. Thats when he first tried to give up drink, but failed.

Alcoholic talks
Anti-alcohol medication, occupational therapy, a work skills enhancement programme, painting classes and the gym helped. Best of all, he had access to a computer. Gradually he got better and was discharged, but being outside hospital was sometimes more difficult than being inside. Alcohol was so easy to get. Persuading himself and others that he really did mean to stop drinking was very hard.

25

unstable and struggles with his need for a drink. He meets the hospital psychiatrist every month, sees a community nurse who checks on progress, and still goes to the YWC for relapse prevention training. However bad it is to deal with detoxification, Tung knows failure means no job, no future. Hes trying volunteer work and getting fit as selfmotivators. Goals of connecting again with family and friends, finding a job and becoming financially solvent, make him determined to lead a more purposeful life. He still fears a relapse. What keeps him off alcohol is fear of failure and knowing that he knows how to find help.

Tung realised he needed help and that he needed to find it on his own.
Preventing relapse
He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the hospital and now has medication to control his mood swings. Nevertheless hes still emotionally

Problems with alcohol? Contact the Youth Wellness Centre, tel. 2465 2828

Tung Tung

Photo by Poldavo [Alex] (Flickr)

Photo by sbszine (Flickr)

Photo by stefanx80 (Creative Commons)

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26

Addicts talk

A compulsive gambler
Once Alan seemed to have everything: a good job as a qualified nurse, a comfortable salary, security and plenty of friends. But ever since he was at university he has been borrowing money, ostensibly to invest. He is among the one in ten students in Hong Kong who play the stock market with borrowed money. He didnt think of himself as a gambler once. He does now. Dream into nightmare
My dream was to be a millionaire before I was 30. I thought I had a winning strategy, but now I know it was just a dream. I lost, time and time again. Ive been getting deeper and deeper into debt. Two girlfriends have already left me. I owe the bank a million dollars. I used to buy warrants on the stock exchange. Buy, sell, buy again, always at the right moment. That was the idea anyway. I had a special technique. My winning strategy, I called it. Now I see I just believed in a myth.

Photo by T-Oh & Matt (Flickr/Creative Commons)

September 2011

Underage gambling
A survey of over 4,700 secondary students and about 700 problem youth was done in 2010 in collaboration with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service and 11 youth work agencies including HKFYG. Problem youth, deemed to be at risk by social workers, would be classified as pathological gamblers according to international norms and have a higher risk of drug and drinking problems. On average, students place their first bet when they are under 12 years old. 22% of problem youth place average bets of HK$627 and occasional bets of HK$60,000-70,000. 95% of at - risk youth gamble whereas 28% of all students do so.
Source Cheung Yuet-wah, & Cheung Wai-ting, Nicole. Research Findings on Pathological Gambling of Marginal Youths and Students in Hong Kong. CUHK Department of Sociology at http://www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/press_detail.php?id=799 and http:// www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/resources/press/pdf/4c3bec0d431bc.pdf

Gambling addict talks

Everyone I knew started telling me I was making big mistakes. Family, friends, workmates. But I wouldnt listen to them. I was convinced that I could get it all back again.

27

Six months later Alan started paying off his loans. His new girlfriend and his sister keep control of his money. Hes getting back on track but its taking a long time.

I had a special technique. My winning strategy, I called it. Now I see I just believed in a myth.
Now I see I was wrong. Ive been talking to a counsellor for almost two years. He said I was addicted. I didnt believe it at first. Now I know what addiction means. It means that I cant resist the urge to gamble. I wasn't just buying stocks. I was gambling on the market, regardless of the consequences, financial or emotional.
Photo by marc e marc (Flickr/Creative Commons)

I gambled. And I lost. I sometimes think Ive lost myself.

The counsellor says theres a debate about whether gambling is an addiction like drinking and drugs. I just know it makes me ill, like any other addict. I gambled. And I lost. I sometimes think Ive lost myself.

Risk Factors For Teen Gambling

Having immediate family members who gamble Poor social bonding at home and at school Starting to gamble at an early age Experiencing a big win shortly after starting to play Boredom / loneliness / stress Strong sensation-seeking tendencies Impulsivity / poor self-control Private, unlimited access to the internet (i.e. in a bedroom)

Postscript
The counsellor told Alan to keep records of everything he spent and of all the money he owed so that he knew exactly what his financial status was all the time. He also suggested that Alan started rebuilding his relationships, with family and former friends.

Alan

Do you know a youngster with a gambling problem? Call the Youth Wellness Centre for help tel. 2465 2828

Youth Hong Kong

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Addicts talk

Once a smoker
Vera is in her 30s. She started smoking when she was 14. Her mother and older sister smoked but her school peers were not an influence. Now, as a well paid executive, recent price increases dont affect her. Like many young women of her cohort, she finds it harder to quit than men.
I wish Id never started smoking. It began at home, on the balcony. My mum was there, late home after a long day at work, relaxed at last. She smiled. Want a puff? Im still not sure if she was joking, but she didnt try to stop me when I said yes.

September 2011

Photo by diljah (Flickr)

They didnt try to stop me

Dad wasnt around much in those days but my big sister came out and joined us. We were very close, mum, sister and me. There was a kind of solidarity, smoking out there together. It was always like that just the three of us together. Smoking seemed perfectly natural. I never smoked at school, just at home. Of course in those days, smoking was still glamorous and sophisticated. There were fewer concerns about health or addiction.

Being outside with the other smokers felt like being a member of an exclusive club.
By the time I got to university the stigma against smoking was taking effect. Everyone worried about second-hand smoke. I got used to going outside for a smoke because of peer pressure more than anything. Hanging out there with the others felt like being a member of an exclusive club.

Photo by asinina (Flickr)

Smoker talks
Fading glamour
Then bit by bit the graphic warnings in words and pictures began to appear on the packs. I have to admit, I didnt pay much attention. My friends smoked, my family smoked it didnt seem out of the ordinary. Even when a cold stopped me smoking for a couple of days, it didnt last long. Ive thought many times about quitting and even tried once or twice. But always, when having a social drink and after dinner, I like to have a cigarette. I also find that smoking calms me down, just as it did my mother. I thought more seriously about quitting when my estranged father died. He had emphysema and I heard from his second family that he suffered a lot. My mother has a smokers cough and I worry about her. But so far, Ive not made much progress.

29

Warning signs
The latest Census & Statistics Department thematic household survey (October-December 2010) shows that teenage smoking has increased. 2.5% of 15-19 year-olds smoke daily, up from 1 2 1.8% in 2009. However, a 2011 University of Hong Kong study of over 53,000 secondary school students has shown that the 50% increase in tobacco tax in 2009 resulted in a 51% drop in adolescent smoking. Since then a further 41.5% tax increase has come into effect. Meantime, the number of gangs in Tin Shui Wai 3 selling illegal cigarettes at 20%-50% the official price has trebled. All I have to say to young people is, please dont start.

Appeal to vanity
Friends who dont smoke are always telling me they dont like the smell of smoke on my clothes, in my hair and on my body. They try to appeal to my vanity and say that smoking will ruin my skin and point to the wrinkles I already have around my lips. I see my mothers face and how grey and unhealthy her skin looks. I think of my dads breathing difficulties and the way he died. I know I must stop. I just wish I had more will power.

Help to quit
Helping youngsters give up smoking is part of the work of the HKFYG Youth Wellness Centre which runs quit smoking programmes in schools. Call 2465 2828 for information. The University of Hong Kongs Hong Kong Youth Quitline (2855 9557) is peer-led and targets smokers aged 12-25.
1 http://www.smokefree.hk/en/content/web.do?page=ThematicHouseholdSurvey 2 http://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_6450.html 3 South China Morning Post 14 June 2011, C3

Youth Hong Kong

Outreach to youth at risk

HKFYG outreach social workers target both youth at risk and young drug abusers. While the Youth Wellness Centre focuses on assessment and treatment of youngsters with addictive behaviour, the outreach teams proactively seek those in need of help. Outreach Projects
Outreach social workers go to streets corners, parks, fast food outlets and cybercafs, with the goal of preventing further marginalization in those whose behaviour hovers between the legal and illegal. Any young drug abuser can call the outreach teams tel. 2487 6151, to get evidence-based, effective treatment to help them change their behaviour, outlook and attitude.

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You t h w a t c h

September 2011

Project SOAR

(Skills, Opportunity and Recognition)

Community Project to Build a Healthy School and B415*

This ongoing two-year anti-drug project has already completed a survey on Risk and Protective Factors Assessment on Youth Drug Abuse in 19 schools. Data have 1 been analyzed and published. B415, an integral part of the project, ran parenting skills training groups and workshops for over 200 participants, with sharing sessions by former young drug users.

This secondary prevention project targeted youth-at-risk including truants, gang members and hidden youth, some of whom were delinquent. Programmes included positive life skills training, exploring vocational choices, adventure-based training, medical check-ups at the Kwai Chung Hospital, Chinese medical services at Yan Chai Hospital, mentorship schemes, and anti-drug leadership training.

Going forward
The Federations services for youth at risk focus on juvenile delinquency, youth gangs and triads, drug abusers and risky sexual behaviour. The outreach units have worked with Kwai Chung Hospital Clinical Psychology Service to tailor-make assessment tools. The Federation operates two Outreaching Social Work Teams, one serving Sai Kung and Wong

Tai Sin; and the other serving Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung Districts. More details of their work with 60 cases of drug abuse will be released in December 2011.

Project Shine II
Project Shine II, sponsored by the Beat Drugs Fund, is a remedial service for young drug abusers. It uses standard evidence-based assessment tools and counselling techniques. Training courses for parents and social workers, communities and schools, as well as medical check-ups for drug abusers, are included.

Note* B415 = Before fifteen Source 1 Risk and Protective Factors Assessment on Youth Drug Abuse ( ). HKFYG, 2011. http://oswsw.hkfyg.org.hk/chi/ healthyschool/survey.htm.

Youth-at-risk during outreach project activities

Yo uth w atch

Addiction alert
Youths opinions
1. Did you have any symptoms of addiction last year?
45.8%

31

Subjective views, local research data and official figures are compared with some statistics from overseas in these 16 charts. On this page young people's own views are revealed.

Findings of an HKFYG youth poll reveal over a third consider themselves addicted to being online. Respondents were told the major symptoms of addictive behavior: recurrent, uncontrollable patterns of behavior that has harmful effects need to increase frequency/ amount for same effects increasing desire to repeat such behaviour discomfort if such behaviour is stopped abruptly Ambiguity and controversy surround the phenomenon of internet addiction. There is no universally accepted definition of the condition.

Often Sometimes or rarely

31.4% 26.0%

13.1%

2.8% ONLINE

4.2%

2.4% DRINKING

2.0% GAMBLING

0.6% 1.8% DRUGS

These tables reflect subjective opinion only.

SMOKING

2. Why do you think people get addicted?

Other 1% To get attention 2% To keep friends 7%

3. Would you seek help if you were addicted?

Definitely would 13% Don't know 30% Probably would 22% Definitely not 10%

Don't know 14%

To pass time 30%

To escape unhappiness 14% To have fun 18% To find satisfaction 14%

Probably not 24%

4. What do you think can help addicts?

Other Medicine or 1% other treament 2% Religion 3% Don't know 15%

5. What would stop an addict seeking help?

Other 1% Don't know Not familiar with Don't want 14% services or anyone to know help available 24% Worry that 2% seeking help is complicated Think that 17% they could Believes that cope alone 23% the problem is not serious 19%

Determination 23%

More social activities 11%

Family support 11% Counselling 12%

Encouragement of peers 22%

Source Charts 1-5 HKFYG Youth Research Centre, Youth Poll Series 203, 2010. Respondents were in secondary 1-7 approximately, 12 to 19. http://yrc.hkfyg.org.hk/eng/p203.html

Youth Hong Kong

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Drug abuse
Male 34.3% Female 24.5%

You t h w a t c h

Hong Kong statistics: official and academic sources

6. First took drugs before 16
Male 34.8% Female 25.7% Male 36.5% Female 29.1% Male 38.7% Female 34.3% Male 39.7% Female 31.0%

7. First took drugs when aged 16-20

Male Male Male Female Male 43.2% Female 42.8% Female 42.7% 42.1% 42.9% Female 39.6% 39.6% 39.0% Male Female 42.0% 40.4%

September 2011

2008

2009

2010

2010 (first quarter)

2011 (first quarter)

2008

2009

2010

2010 (first quarter)

2011 (first quarter)

Drinking, smoking and gambling

8. Had at least one alcoholic drink in your life? 9. Binge drinkers

18 to 20 59%

21 to 31 78.5%

18 to 20 57.9%

21 to 31 71.1%

18 to 20 12.3% Male

21 to 31 23.3%

18 to 20 6.3%

21 to 31 8.7% Female

Male

Female

10. Under 30s smokers

20 to 29 17.5% 20 to 29 12.5% 20 to 29 14.4% 20 to 29 9.7%

11. Teenage smokers

Male Female 53.7% 52.5% Female 33.0% Male Female 61.8% 59.5% Male 67.9% Female 57.7%

Male 43.0%

15 to 19 4.2%

15 to 19 4.2%

15 to 19 3.8%

15 to 19 2.5%

1982

1993

2002/03

2007/08

1982

1993

2002/03

2010

12. Young gamblers and what they bet on

Cards Mahjong Dice Mark Six Soccer: HK Jockey Club Horseracing: HK Jockey Club Tossing coins Online gambling Soccer: local / offshore bookmaker 4% 8% 6% 33% 28% 36% 30% 23% 22% 54% 47% 59% 64% 93% 77%

10% 15% 12%

Sources Charts 6 & 7: Narcotics Division (2011), Central Registry of Drug Abuse figures for age of first drug abuse from voluntary reports. http://www.nd.gov.hk/en/crda.htm Charts 8 & 9 : Kim, Jean H et al. Prevalence and factors associated with binge drinking, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2008:43. 360-370. Charts 10 &11: Tobacco Control Office. Department of Health. (2008) http://www. tco.gov.hk/english/infostation/infostation_sta_01.html Chart 12: Cheung Wai-ting, N & Cheung Yuet-wah. Pathological gambling of marginal youths and students. Chinese University of Hong Kong. 2010. http:// www.cpr.cuhk.edu.hk/en/press_detail.php?id=799

STUDENTS

MARGINAL YOUTH

Yo uth w atch

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International statistics
What have teenagers tried?
13. China, East Asia and the US2
66.3% 59.7% 46.0% 38.7% 26.8% 11.4% 25.0% 9.6% 1.4% Smoking China Japan Korea U.S.A. Drinking Gambling 1.7% 1.8% 37.2 % 28.4% 23.2% 58.1% 59.9%

Drugs

14. Australia3: alcohol + tobacco

0.87% 0.93%

15. Australia3: drugs

22.0% 20.0% 17.0% 15.0% 18.0%

0.45%

13.0%

7.0% 5.0% 3.0% 5.0% 3.0% 3.0% 1.0% 2.0%2.0% 3.0% 3.0% 2.0% Steroids Cocaine

0.3% 14 to 15 Alcohol Tobacco 16 to 17

Cannabis Inhalants Tranquillisers Hallucinogens Amphetamines Ecstasy

Opiates

14 to 15

16 to 17

Internet dependency
16. Worldwide prevalence of internet addiction4
38.0%

18.0%

8.1%

5.9% 1.6% 2.0% China Norway UK 1.6% Korea

5.4%

US

Taiwan

Finland

Italy

Synonyms for internet addiction include:

Compulsive internet use Pathological internet use Problematic internet use Internet dependency Cyber dependency CRT (computer-related technology) dependency
Note HKFYGs Youth Wellness Centre follows diagnostic criteria devised by Kimberley Young.5

Sources 1 Controversies abound over definitions of internet addiction. The current edition of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) does not include a diagnosis for internet dependency. Discussion on changes for DSM V is invited at http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevision/ Pages/SubstanceUseandAddictiveDisorders.aspx 2 Comparison of the rights of high school students [in] China, Japan, Korea and U.S.A. (2009) http://vweb.youth.cn/cms/2006/syx/jygd/xsbg/201004/t20100409_1193480.htm 3 Tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter and illicit substance use among Australian secondary school students. (2008) http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/ drugstrategy/Publishing.nsf/content/2C4E3D846787E47BCA2577E600173CBE/$File/ sch5.pdf 4 Chakraborty, K et al. Internet addiction: consensus, controversies and the way ahead. East Asian Archives of Psychiatry. 2010: 20, 123-132. 5 Young, K. Internet addiction. Cyberpsychology and Behavior. 1996: 3, 237-244

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Cit y S p a c e

Attributes for future leaders

The Global Citizenship Programme, organized by The Dragon Foundation which is administered by HKFYG, is sponsored by the Victor & William Fung Foundation. KM Wong, Director of the Victor & William Fung Foundation and the Li & Fung Foundation, talked about the characteristics of todays leaders and how to nurture similar potential in youth.
Major trends should be borne in mind when considering attributes for Hong Kongs potential future leaders. First, there is the predominance of service industries in Hong Kongs economy and the profound impact globalization has on these industries. Second, there is the dramatically increased speed of change. Third, there is company structure which no longer relies on traditional hierarchy. Instead, service is offered by a team and some activities are outsourced, requiring good communications and efficient orchestration of networks.

September 2011

Listening, awareness and stewardship

Therefore, young leaders need to be able to listen without prejudice, especially in a multicultural society such as ours. Good listeners have empathy and understanding. They also need awareness, the foresight to know what they are doing and the ability to foresee issues and outcomes. This requires self-understanding against the background of your own culture and heritage. It is the route to cultural identity. Our future young leaders also need to be persuasive and to be accomplished in stewardship for the benefit of the local and the global community. Global issues have an impact on the local community and will help resolve the local issues.

The best experience of the world outside Hong Kong comes from working overseas.
Find out about the world abroad
Such attitudes and characteristics can be acquired through the influence of parents, a good education and experience. Young people should be encouraged to go overseas for exposure and to broaden their minds. When they return and share with us what they have learned, we see how their outlook has changed. KM Wong, Director, Victor & William Fung Foundation and Li & Fung Foundation I think the best experience of the world outside Hong Kong comes from working overseas. It takes at least two years to understand another culture in any depth, but this experience brings good opportunities for career advancement.

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Reading a good newspaper such as The Economist, on a regular basis, is excellent preparation for such an experience. It provides background knowledge on current affairs. Without such knowledge one lacks the awareness of the broader picture needed to make sound evaluative judgments.

An important element in our competitiveness is our open society with its great exposure to western culture.

Exposure, independence and autonomy

An important element in our competitiveness is our open society with its great exposure to western culture. We need to recognize this and take advantage of it. Another element is integrity. With integrity and the ability to articulate well we can continue to build mutual trust. A real leader for Hong Kongs future needs to have the heart to make changes despite all the challenges. We have been brought up expecting to be told what to do. Now we need to know how to move forward independently. This includes learning how to govern ourselves. I hope this is not too tall an order for our young people.

Competitiveness, integrity and trust

In the last few years young people have begun to lose confidence in Hong Kong and some think we might be losing our competitive edge, especially with all thats happening in China. My message is that our competitive edge exists, but if we are not fully aware of it, and if we dont use it, well lose it.

Global Citizenship Programme

Fostering understanding of the nature of global citizenship and preparing students who have leadership potential to become true global citizens are the aim of this regular Dragon Foundation programme which is managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The programme sends Hong Kong university students abroad to acquire an international perspective, hoping to help equip them with the knowledge and skills needed by committed citizens who can take up leadership positions in the world. IIE fosters the free flow of knowledge and ideas across national boundraries. Its Hong Kong office informs students about study opportunities and scholarships. Visit www.dragonFoundation.net/index.htm www.iiehongkong.org/dragon/#iie Global Citizenship Programme participants

Youth Hong Kong

Migration and working overseas

Three participants in The Dragon Foundation 2011 Global Citizenship Programme wrote about migration and working overseas. Personal factors include learning something new about themselves and others, adventure, and career advancement. The message is that this naturally anxious step brings great rewards to both host countries and those who move to them. Stopping xenophobia spreading
Anders Behring Breivik, who confessed to the mass killing in Norway this year, may be considered insane but he claims he was trying to protect European Christian civilization from Islamic migration. Xenophobia is spreading with globalization. In Hong Kong there has been heated argument about residency rights for foreign domestic helpers. It has been the rationale for discrimination against immigrants, who some say bring keener competition for jobs. Migration means change, and we all fear changes. Then why do people migrate? Most of us need a strong reason. For some, its to earn a living, for others its to gain security or develop a career. But by moving, we experience the same anxiety as when we face waves of immigrants. raises a question: what good do migrant workers do for the host country? The most inspiring concept in the seminar given by the International Organization for Migration during the Global Citizenship Programme 2011 was of migration as a process to be facilitated, not a problem to be solved. Overseas workers undeniably make an economic contribution. They help keep production costs low and meet the need for expertise lacking in the host country. Moreover, they bring their own customs and culture. Consider the wide variety of cuisines in Hong Kong and the small ethnic communities. Take the Thais in Kowloon Tong, for example. They have actually helped to establish the character and identity of the district. people are known to be less keen to teach verbally and prefer teaching handin-hand. Apprentices are seldom taught a skill directly, but a good master gives enough opportunities for learning. I want to know how foreigners do it. Learning more about myself is my ultimate reason for going abroad. One finds out about other customs too and that helps rethink the socio-economic forces that have shaped modern society. Staying at home can be numbing. Run-of-the-mill routine means we take everything for granted. By moving overseas, we see how others live and become more aware of own societys uniqueness. Moving one step further, we can also become more self-aware. Lawrence Leung Chun-ho, Hong Kong Baptist University

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Cit y s p a c e

September 2011

Personal reasons: learning by comparing

Among all the work possibilities overseas, an internship interests me most. It would involve learning how differently people work and seeing how students are treated. Chinese

Making migration easier

Populist provocation tells us immigrants do harm. No matter whether it is true, it

Supporting the economy Supporting the economy

Migration means change, and we all fear changes.

For centuries, people have travelled across the seas, leaving home For centuries, people have travelled across the seas, leaving home to go to another country to find a job. Nowadays it seems quite a to go to another country to find a job. Nowadays it seems quite a common phenomenon. So why do they do it? To help themselves common phenomenon. So why do they do it? To help themselves only or to help their host country? only or to help their host country? Thanks to globalization, the whole worlds marketplace is merging. Thanks to globalization, the whole worlds marketplace is merging. Companies set up offices in many different countries and employees Companies set up offices in many different countries and employees are asked to work there. They look for opportunities to explore, are asked to work there. They look for opportunities to explore, develop and expand their market, so the answer is multifaceted. develop and expand their market, so the snawer is multifaceted.

Uneven development Uneven development

People also move within their region, sometimes because of People also move within their region, sometimes because of environmental or political factors. However, migration can make environmental or political factors. However, migration can make for uneven development when migrant workers go to cities where for uneven development when migrant workers go to cities where wages are much higher than in rural areas. wages are much higher than in rural areas.

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Giving it a try!
Most people work overseas in pursuit of a better life for themselves and their families. Filipinos, Indonesians and Thais working in Hong Kong are an example. A senior lecturer from the Hong Kong Red Cross said that young domestic helpers in Hong Kong are very keen blood donors. Maybe it is because they are satisfied with their jobs and living standards. Perhaps they feel privileged and more ready to give. This is exhilarating news for a host country. It also bridges potential gaps between local and overseas workers. In Singapore, about 36% of the population are overseas workers. They offer what their host country wants. An influx of global talent and fresh views

results in more discussion and inspiration for the local community. It makes a tiny country diverse and more culturally open.

myself in the process. In an unfamiliar environment you step out of your comfort zone and learn things faster. I love the adventurous feeling of daring to take a risk and doing something unpredictable. Grasp opportunity when it comes. You should try. You never know. Shirley Ko, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

Committing to challenge
A typical case is Jay Herbert Walder, recently appointed chief executive officer of the MTR. He worked in the rail industry in England and the US for over 20 years. Even with such experience, he will need to learn from his colleagues and adapt to a new working environment. Committing to such a challenge requires courage. I would also go abroad to meet new challenges, work in a completely different environment and cooperate with people of another culture who do not respond as I expected. It would be fascinating to understand why, learning more about

Why...? To help themselves or to help their host country?

Choosing to work overseas is also an option for the well-qualified. Employment conditions might be similar but salaries could differ and prospects might be better. It can also bring exposure to other cultures, broader horizons and the chance to learn different skills. Overseas workers bring skills to their host community and fill professional gaps, sharing what they know with local workers, training them, and helping to build a sustainable economy. On the other hand, less skilled people take manual jobs that locals may not be willing to do. This also helps to support the local economy. Chan May-yan, The Open University of Hong Kong

An influx of global talent...makes a tiny country...more culturally open.

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Guest column

by Shelley Lee The ongoing plight of people in Somalia and other large scale humanitarian crisis zones, always calls to mind the may not be aware of the dedicated individuals and philanthropists who lead the many fundraising campaigns, plan the aid missions and supervise at Ground Zero. Decades of sterling support
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to support the call for a new Hong Kong Red Cross HQ, and met some of the brains and beauty behind the project. The photo below shows, yours truly apart, faces that represent decades of leadership and sterling support for the Hong Kong Red Cross. I'm privileged to say something about each of them. At 104 years old, Sir Run Run Shaw is readily recognized as the icon of the Hong Kong film industry, the pioneer of the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and the host of the Shaw Prize for scientific excellence. But our younger friends may not realise that he actually led the Hong Kong Red Cross for many years as Chairman and even now is solidly behind its
Photo by Remolacha.net pics (Creative Commons)

September 2011

work of the International Red Cross. Yet young people

future development. It took only one telephone call to rally Sir Run Run's support, and he pledged HK$100 million for the new building. That call was made by Mrs. Selina Tsang, herself no stranger to good causes. In a quiet but effective way, she inspires support for the causes she serves by sheer example. So does Mrs. Rita Liu, a philanthropic powerhouse. For decades I have witnessed her selfless giving to hospitals, schools, churches and countless charitable institutions. I am particularly touched by the way she gives a leg up to many new and struggling NGOs. Another ally is Lady Ivy Wu. Being Sir Gordon Wu's spouse does not deter her from going to Afghanistan on a Red Cross Mission at the drop of a hat. Or to supporting the unlikely sport of ice hockey for needy children in Hong Kong.

Follow in their footsteps

As I gaze fondly at the photo of Sir Run Run and the ladies, I remind myself how fortunate we are in Hong Kong to have such fine examples of selfless giving and leadership. And I want to ask our younger friends to learn from their contributions and follow in their footsteps. In time, Hong Kong will need a new generation of heroes and heroines.

Left to right, clockwise: Lady Ivy Wu, Ms Shelley Lee, Mrs Rita Liu, Mrs Selina Tsang, Sir Run Run Shaw

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Are You Hungry? I'm not!

by Fiona Wan, NT Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School
Photo by IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation (Turkey) (Creative Commons)

The writers of the essays on the next two pages have participated in HKFYG activities. Fiona Wan wrote about voluntary work in the last issue of Youth Hong Kong. Kanika Bali was at this years Summer School for Effective Leadership organized by the Federation and the University of Hong Kong. Here they write about topics of current interest in the community.
The Joint Schools Famine brings hundreds of students together overnight and participants abstain from solid food, learn about poverty and hunger and take part in experiential workshops and games. I was one of the leaders this year and during the 20-hour fast we played several ice-breaking games, developing mutual trust and having fun. In one detective game, the players had to find the killer of an African teenager. The plot revealed some of the cruelties in the world, such as child labour, child slavery and broken homes. Another game was like a design contest, The Story of HIM, and there was a chance to show creativity and gain self-confidence. We had the chance to polish our leadership and presentation skills, cooperating with others and gaining invaluable friendship. We could also apply what we had learnt in class, such as economic concepts of specialization and opportunity cost. It was no piece of cake being a leader of these activities but there was a sense of fulfillment, joy and happiness from making dreams come true. It only takes a spark to get a fire going but soon all those around you can warm up in its glow. If you have a dream, do not hesitate. Go for it. Share your dreams. As youngsters, we have the time, energy and passion. Sow your dreams. Ceaseless efforts will grow from them.

Experiencing unfairness and hunger

The highlight was a game called Try It Once Again. Participants simulated a day in the life of ordinary Africans, and saw how miserable the lives of poor, starving people are. One group represented a whole family and each participant acted as a child or an adult. They tried to earn money to buy food and fight against hunger. The game was a success because the players really did experience unfairness, poverty and hunger. Most participants gained a lot from taking part. They understood that what distinguishes one person from another is not ability, but access access to education, access to opportunities and access to love. This encouraged them to cherish what they have trust each other learn how to work as a team.

The Joint Schools Famine is an extension of World Vision's 30Hour Famine. It encourages students to organize or participate in fasting-related activities, experience real hunger pangs, reflect on their own luck, and offer help to the 925 million people in the world who are starving. World Vision introduced a 9-hour version of the 30-Hour Famine this year with The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups and The Dragon Foundation. See Caring Dragons in Taiwan, pages 50-51. Fiona Wan

The pink dolphin: natures bounty in Asia

by Kanika Bali, The International School Bangalore
Imagine someone taking your home to create their own. How would you feel? What if your habitat was wiped out just to make someone elses more comfortable? Has it ever crossed your mind that while we enjoy immense economic growth and vastly improved standards of living we may be silently murdering other organisms that belong on our planet? The pink dolphin is one example. Found off the coast of Hong Kong, the pink colour emerges as they get older, their skin becomes translucent, and their heat control mechanism makes the blood vessels visible. In fact they are very much like humans. Their deep pink flush when they are excited is just like ours when we get embarrassed!
Photo by takoradee(Wikimedia Commons)

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Cit y s p a c e

ideas. Fundraising on school open days and small-scale carnivals can create awareness and gather more widespread support. Even a short editorial in the school newspaper can attract a lot of attention. Always remember that big things start small.

There are about a hundred pink dolphins left in Hong Kong, mainly around the airport. These magnificent creatures, related to a similar species in the Amazon, are endangered due to the rapid development of infrastructure which has disturbed their habitat. Pollution has also contributed to the steep fall in the dolphin population. Much of Hong Kongs sewage is not treated and garbage is dumped into the sea every day. This makes it hard for dolphins to breathe and possible for them to choke. The Hong Kong government is making a major effort to overcome this problem through the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme. As youth, it is our duty to spread awareness of vulnerable creatures and create a sustainable environment. Signature campaigns in your school or local community can be sent to government. Small action groups can check on the appearance and behaviour of the dolphins and seek support from family and friends. NGOs like WWF can be approached for
Photo by Steve Evans (Wikimedia Commons) Wikimedia

Saving the pink dolphin will, no doubt, be an uphill battle like one in my own experience. I have worked for nine years for a similar cause, saving Indian tigers. Teenagers organizations are hesitant to fund such activities and corporate bodies have turned a deaf ear to such issues many times. However, if we stand together and put our minds to defending a worthy cause no one can hold us back. The real question is: are you willing to change from an observer to an action-taker? To help you answer that question Ill leave you with one thought that always stirs me into action: How can one overcome a storm while sitting in a boat on the shore?

Note Hong Kongs pink dolphins are Chinese white dolphins (Sousa chinensis chinensis), sometimes known as the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin.

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Getting Hong Kongs young people to exercise is often not easy unless they are good at sports. Dr Alison McManus of the University of Hong Kong Institute of Human Performance has been using a novel motivator: active video games. She also says that exercise is good for brains.

School time, culture and exercise

In school, children are active for at least part of the day. They do Physical Education and are not allowed to use the lifts in multi-storey government schools. Outside school, Hong Kong children are sedentary most of the time according to Dr McManus. As she says, Exercise is not a social activity here for the young but parental concern about overweight and health is underestimated. Parents do want to get the children involved with sport but from primary school onwards there is such a lot of homework. By the time its done, parents are usually home, the outdoors environment is challenging, and zipping down to the podium to play is not really an option. Its dinner time. When thats over, its bedtime. Even at national squad level in Hong Kong, if its exam time training will be once a fortnight at best.

Zipping down to the podium to play is not really an option.

The HKU Institute of Human Performance has done research on motivation for exercise. They have tried large health promotion messages on the Mid-Levels escalator, for example. In the UK there was a 12-15% increase in stair use as a result of a similar programme. Here there was just a 0.3% increase. There was the same reaction in an air-conditioned shopping mall. We also did studies with pedometers and diaries, in government schools. Results were the same regardless of socioeconomic level, from XaviX Jacky Chan game played on a dance mat

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In the loop

Aberdeen to Tseung Kwan O. No increase in walking. The study was selfregulated, and given how goal-oriented Hong Kong kids are, perhaps they found it stressful. They werent achieving their goal. Maybe they felt hopeless because they failed to reach it in the expected time.

Did you know

Tests have shown that exercise improves attention levels and memory, increases the size of the hippocampus1 and improves the brains capacity for learning. One study with 9-year olds using a treadmill suggests an increase of ability to pay attention and perform better academically. Another showed the connection between aerobic fitness and increased volume of the hippocampus and better memory in preadolescent children.2 A third used a video game of street-crossing to test reaction time, multi-tasking ability and spatial awareness.3
Notes and sources 1. Hillman, CH. / Neuroscience 159 no 3 (2009): 10441054. 2. Chaddock, L. / Brain Research 1358 (2010): 172-183. 3. Chaddock, L et al. / Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. (2011).

Exercise makes your brain grow stronger

We have heard how regular exercise helps you eat and sleep better but apparently there are other benefits. The more you exercise, the better your brain performs. It is the result of the increased flow of blood. This means more oxygen, more energy and better all-round performance.

A neat solution
If we agree that exercise is good, how can Hong Kong children be motivated? Active video gaming is one answer. Popular everywhere, in Hong Kongs environment hot and humid in summer, mum and dad at work, children bored at home it is a natural. They love it, but they dont think of it as exercise, says Dr McManus.

We need to set up active video game rooms in schools and in LCSD centres.
Its called contingent gaming. The game on the screen stops if you stop moving. The kids in the programme would never go outside to exercise but active gaming might give them the impetus to get on their feet. We have used a variety of equipment with the Obesity Clinic at HKU. Students walked on a treadmill at just 1mph because walking faster means you cant dual process. You either forget to walk, or to play the game. While walking, they played conventional Xbox games for 45 minutes, 3-4 times a week. We couldnt get one boy, aged 16 and weighing 130kg, off the treadmill!

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He would have gone on for hours. The problem is he has no Xbox at home theres no room and they cost too much and for results he needed to keep at it for a year. That means we need to set up active video game rooms in schools, in Leisure and Cultural Services Department centres. Nevertheless, a new large scale study recently done in New Zealand backs up our findings that active video games can lead to weight loss.

steppers, hooked into Xbox games. A new device, the Kinect is also used for active gaming, but it requries too much space for the average Hong Kong home and comes at a much higher cost. Dr McManus says she has never come across a compulsive active videogamer and the next challenge is to convince government that it is a good idea to provide active game equipment in schools and sports venues for public use. This would allow for directed, supervised, affordable use. What do you think? Write to youthhongkong@hkfyg.org.hk and let us know.

... exercise can improve the brain's capacity for learning.

There are cheaper, less sophisticated alternatives, like the XaviX Jacky Chan game played on a dance mat and hooked up to your own computer. Its a predecessor to the Nintendo Wii. You run and jump and dodge while looking at images of Hong Kong streets. Its suitable for a small room but it does cost about HK$700. We also use Gamercize Gamercize steppers Dr. Alison McManus

Active video gaming: challenge and controversy

Hong Kongs Education Bureau has run surveys on physical fitness in students. It found that 46.4% of junior secondary and 40.5% of senior secondary students spend over four hours a day watching TV, videos, using a computer or playing computer games so there is a natural hook up to active video games. The cheapest active video game equipment is about HK$700 so the first challenge is for manufacturers to bring the price down and make equipment fit into an average Hong Kong home. Such homes have the highest level of connectivity in the world and active online games can be free. That is where the controversy creeps in. Would helping kids get fit by getting them using video games actively also help to breed online game addicts?
Source 1. Diet, physical activity and health: Hong Kong situation. Hong Kong Department of Health.

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Internetscope

Portable addictions
by Shen Weihuang Our young freelance correspondent picks up on the June issues theme, putting the mobile internet into the context of addictions. There are more connections than one as a recent UK survey confirms.
I saw news the other day of a man in the UK, camped outside a store, already gearing up to be the first to get the new iPhone. I couldnt help laughing at his craziness. It wasnt until the sound of laughter faded into the atmosphere that I realized this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Actually, it was a flash-back. That was me, two years ago, lining up outside the store for three hours to get my smartphone. I just cant help being attracted by some of these high-tech electronic devices, especially if they are portable.

September 2011

Irresistible attraction
It was almost twelve years ago, when Gameboy had just become popular among school children, that I first wanted such things. We had a video game machine at home back then and the games were much more sophisticated than on a Gameboy, but I would still have sold that big video machine in exchange. Why? The only reason I can think of now is that, given the choice between playing a wonderful game at home and playing a not-so-fancy on a Gameboy was that with the latter I could play anytime, anywhere. I guess this explains why I bought a PSP a few years later. Gameboy and PSPs sales are limited because not all people like games but the core concept can be extended. Thats why the Kindle, smartphones, the iPad and other portable devices became popular. Most of them have multiple features that are irresistible, but they all have one important thing in common: internet access, almost anytime and anywhere.

though they knew, deep in their hearts, that there wouldnt even be junk mail in the inbox. If you have a smartphone or an iPad, and even if you dont have a text message or an incoming call, you probably like to sweep the touchscreen just the same. And then sweep it again, without doing anything much else at all, really. Dont you? And amazingly, after you have been doing all those meaningless things for a whole year, you still dont think theyre boring. So, whats going on? I think we should give a big round of applause to the people who invented these products. They really know about making good use of peoples vulnerability, their innocence and irrationality. And this behaviour is predictable. A book called Predictably Irrational, by Dan Ariely, an Israeli American psychology and behavioural economics professor from Duke University, explains a lot about irrational behaviour and why it is repeated, over and over again. Ariely says, "Once you see how systematic certain mistakes are - how we repeat them again and again - I think you will begin to learn how to avoid some of them."

Deep in your heart

They are compelling. For example, most people who own a Blackberry like its Push Mail which allows you to check your email when you are offline. Many of my friends formed the same habit after having a Blackberry for a while. They wanted to check their email constantly, even

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Would we be able to tell those friends about the most beautiful place we'd ever seen, with our own eyes and our own spoken words, instead of using a screen? Could we pick up a pen and write a letter to a loved one?
Internet map by Idjjj (Creative Commons)

I dont know, but I hope we could.

Reflecting on extremes
He explains the Blackberry case as a gambling impulse. Every time a person checks email it is an act of gambling, to see whether there is new email. It doesnt do any harm, in the short term, but it does bring great benefit to the phone makers. The long term effects, I think, mainly reflect lack of communication skills and health hazards. Of course, Im talking about extremes, but there are a growing number of them and thats what's worrying. We dont want extreme to become normal. Environmental activists and scientists talk repeatedly about reassessing our lives, about knowing what we really need. Maybe the time has come for everyone to do just that.

Eating up time
Portable addictions are addictions you can indulge in anytime and anywhere. They eat up time that you used to spend going out with friends and meeting new people. I have seen it so many times: people sitting in a caf playing PSP or cell phones instead of engaging in real life communication with real people. A Chinese word, Zhai,* which was once described people who love staying at home, playing video games, reading comic books or obsessing about high-tech devices, is now used to those who actually dont stay at home, but behave in exactly this way wherever they are. Time spent on these devices can squeeze your exercise schedule, or even eliminate it. A good workout is crucial for everyone and scientists have already found serious osteoporosis in teenagers who lack exercise. We rely too much on these devices. What would we do if, one day, they began to malfunction? Could we make friends again by introducing ourselves face to face and shaking hands instead of using Facebook?
Reflections on a smartphone by RafeB (Creative Commons)

Notes and Source * Zhai is Zaak in Cantonese 1 http://www.intersperience.com/news_more.asp?news_id=39 2 See the preceding article for more on this.

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Tertiary education, employment, housing, poverty and cross border issues

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You t h Tre n d s

September 2011

Youth Trends in Hong Kong 2011

HKFYG Youth Research Centre Youth Trends in Hong Kong compiles and analyzes statistical data and research findings. It includes Indicators of Youth Values. The latest Trends is the tenth in a series that has been conducted by the HKFYG Youth Research Centre since 1997. Five important areas of concern covered by the book are summarised here, with recommendations for policy change.

Tertiary education
Increasing global competition has made qualifications at tertiary level a basic requirement for many jobs. However, publicly-funded undergraduate places at local universities have hovered around 14,500 since 1994/95, representing about 18% of the relevant age cohort. This obviously lags behind the 25%-87% university enrollment rates of OECD countries.

The new academic structure will [result in] an even bigger university enrollment bottleneck.
Results of the 2011 Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination show that 18,972 candidates in total met the basic entrance criteria for institutions of higher education. However, only 12,417 candidates were admitted through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System(JUPAS). One third of those eligible were not admitted into any subsidized undergraduate programme. With the new 3-3-4 academic structure, all Secondary 6 students will sit the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination as of 2012. This replaces two public examinations, previously taken by Secondary 5 and Secondary 7 students, and will reduce the former filtering which took place as a result of examinations in Secondary 5. The result will be an even bigger university enrollment bottleneck. Going to university

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There are 20,000 sub-degree admissions for self-financed and publiclyfunded sub-degree programmes each year. However, only 1,927 subsidized senior year undergraduate places are available, thus making competition extremely keen. Youth Trends 2011 urges the government to provide more subsidized undergraduate degree places to increase first year university enrollment rate to at least 25% of the age cohort. It also recommends speeding up the development of private universities so that more students who are self-supporting can go to local universities.

As Hong Kong gradually develops into an increasingly knowledge-based economy, job skills requirements have changed and increased. Those who lack relevant work experience, have poor educational attainments and few skills, will find less and less by way of opportunities for suitable work. Employment support and

Undergraduate enrollment
20,000 18.0% 17.0% 17.7% 17.6% 18.5% 18.7% 18.5% 18.5% 18.5% 19.2%

counselling services, which give young people work experience and confidence through on-the-job training should be continued and enhanced. There are currently 3,000 temporary work opportunities for what is known as "programme workers" allocated to the subvented social welfare agencies, mainly providing work experience and on-the-job

15,000

10 ,000

5,000

training. Given that the chances of the least competitive youth might be eliminated in a knowledge-based economy, Youth Trends 2011 recognizes the need for adaptability of employees in an open job market.

2001/02

2003/04 2005/06 2007/08 2009/10 2002/03 2004/05 2006/07 2008/09 2010/11

Note The above figures include local and non-local students

Employment
Unemployment of Hong Kong youth persists at 3-5 times that of the overall population. In the second quarter of 2011, unemployment rates for 15-19 year-olds and 20-24 year-olds were 18.6% and 9.2% respectively, equivalent to 32,400 unemployed persons, of which 6,000 had been unemployed for six months or more. Up to 31,600 young people aged 15-24 who are in the labour force have only attained junior secondary education or below. Since they are less well-educated and have insufficient work experience, it is difficult for them to secure employment on the open market.

Quarterly Youth Unemployment Rate (%)

30 15-19 yr 20-24 yr overall labour force

25

20

15

10

Unemployment of Hong Kong youth persists at 3-5 times that of the overall population.

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

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You t h Tre n d s

Youth Trends 2011 recommends a review of housing demand and the reinstatement of a long-term housing plan. In particular, it recommends relaxing the criteria for non-elderly single person applicants and an increased quota for this group. It also suggests the restart of the Home Ownership Scheme and proposes a government review of the possibility of short-term home rental schemes for young people to alleviate their housing problems.

September 2011

Rent and sale prices for the smallest New Territories flats with a floor area of under 40m2 have increased by 38% and 73% respectively over the past ten years.
Applicants for public housing by age group
Somewhere to live
70,000 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10 ,000

Housing
In the past ten years, young peoples incomes have decreased but the cost of accommodation has risen. The housing problem therefore remains a stumbling block for young people who want to become independent. Youth who have great difficulty renting private property may apply for public housing but have very little chance of succeeding, given the Quota and Points System that principally counts age and waiting time. The number of non-elderly single-person applicants aged 18-29 has almost doubled, from 13,400 in 2007 to 26,700 in 2010, indicating the greater demand for public housing from younger people. Sandwich class youth, those between the low- and the middle-income socio-economic groups, who wish to purchase homes of their own, also have few opportunities because the government has ceased running subsidized home ownership schemes . Both low-income and sandwich class youth rely on the private property market if they want to live independently from their families. However, rent and sale prices for the smallest New Territories flats with a floor area of under 40m2 have increased by 38% and 73% respectively over the past ten years. The shortage of suitable accommodation has therefore prolonged young peoples dependence on their parents as home providers and makes it difficult for them to live independent lives.

Mar 2007 >=50yr

Mar 2008 40-49yr

Mar 2009 30-39yr

Mar 2010 18-29yr

Dec 2010

Poverty
According to The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS), poverty is defined as living on a monthly income equal to or less than half of the median income of households of equivalent size. Given this definition, the poverty rate among young people aged 15-24 has increased from 15.9% to 20.1% in the past ten years. Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) figures from the Social Welfare Department also show their continued poverty. The only increase in recipients of CSSA is among young people aged 15-24, with 55,377 recipients in 2010, accounting for 6.3% of the population. Hong Kong also has a trend of regionalized poverty. 40% of 15-24 yearold CSSA recipients live in Yuen Long, Kwun Tong and Kwai Tsing,

Yo uth Tre n d s

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the three districts with the highest concentration of youth in poverty. According to the HKCSS definition, poverty rates in Sham Shui Po, Yuen Long, Kwai Tsing and Kwun Tong have reached 25% across the entire population. Youth Trends 2011 urges the government to develop policies that counter the current trend of increased poverty amongst the young and to address the issue of regionalized poverty. The report recommends policies that make it possible for poor youth to become upwardly mobile by providing them with more opportunities to learn and build social networks. It suggests the setting up of district-based communication platforms to allow people to express to government the needs of districts.

for more than 40% of all infants born in Hong Kong. Up to 80.3% of both parents of such infants are not permanent Hong Kong residents. According to the Basic Law, Chinese citizens born in Hong Kong have permanent residency rights which explains why so many mainland women give birth here. Such children have the same rights as any other Hong Kong children. Most of them live with their parents on the mainland at present, but they may create new demands for education, community services, healthcare and housing in Hong Kong as they grow up. The surge in cross-border school children is an example of this. Youth Trends 2011 comments that the government is yet to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the social impact of mainland women crossing the border to give birth. In-depth studies which plan for their future are needed. The report recommends that government acts in order to provide the necessary information for planning and assessment of various potential social needs. Furthermore, policy-makers are urged to formulate relevant population policy.

The poverty rate among young people aged 15-24 has increased from 15.9% to 20.1% in the past ten years.
Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) by age group
20%

Live births in Hong Kong to mainland women

100,000

15%

80,000

60,000 10% 40,000 5% 20,000

0%

2003 0-14yr

2004

2005 15-24yr

2006 25-39yr

2007 40-64yr

2008

2009

2010

0 2001 Total live births

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009 2010

>=65yr

Live births to mainland woman

Spouses not HK permanent residents

Cross-border issues
The number of mainland children crossing the border daily to attend Hong Kong schools has increased from 3,803 in 2004-2005 to 8,038 in 2009-2010. Most of these children live in Shenzhen but they have the right of abode in Hong Kong. Since 2001, more and more mainland women give birth in Hong Kong. There were 40,648 births to mainland mothers in 2010, accounting

mainland children crossing the border daily to attend Hong Kong schools increased from 3,803 in 2004-2005 to 8,038 in 2009-2010.
Notes and sources 1 For example, Australia has an enrollment rate of 87%; Luxembourg: 25%. OECD. Education at a glance: Education indicators. 2010. 2 Except for surplus government Home Ownership Scheme flats.

Youth Hong Kong

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Photo essay

The Dragon symbolizes vigour, creativity, hope and progress, so the 500 young Chinese people from all over the world who took part in this last programme in the Dragon Series last summer were called Caring Dragons. The series was co-organized by HKFYG with the All-China Youth Federation and sponsored by The Dragon Foundation. Caring Dragons in Taiwan was partnered by World Vision Hong Kong, World Vision Taiwan and Junior Chamber International Taiwan.

September 2011

P h o to e s s ay

51

30-Hour Famine at Taipei Linkou Gymnasium

Dragons Series concludes

Six major events on the dragon theme have been organized since 2000 in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan, with the support of The Dragon Foundation. The aim was to instill a strong sense of identity, a global perspective and a desire to serve the community. Caring Dragons in Taiwan took place from late July to early August 2011 in Taipei, Kaohsiung and Pingtung County. Participants came from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Canada, the US, UK, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam. They explored issues related to poverty, did volunteer work and learned about the history and culture of Taiwan. There was a World Chinese Youth Forum in Taipei and community service in an area hard hit by Typhoon Marakot in 2009. Study visits focusing on socio-cultural development, a 30 Hour Famine organized by World Vision Taiwan, and a spectacular Dragon Dance completed the programme.

Youth Hong Kong

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HKFYG news

Wudang Mountain
Martial arts and ancient architecture
Thirty students spent over two weeks in June at Wudang Mountain in Hubei Province. They trained hard, building self-discipline and physical strength by studying wushu, qigong and Taoism. They also had time to explore the areas natural beauty and imperial architecture on this youth exchange trip supported by BOC Group Life Assurance Co Ltd.

September 2011

UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site

The palaces and temples of the ancient architectural complex at Wudang Mountain (Wudangshan) were built during the Ming dynasty (14th17th centuries). It is the birthplace of Wudang martial arts and was listed as a world cultural heritage site by UNESCO in 1994.

HKF YG ne w s

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I love Wudang
On the HKFYG trip in June this year I learned Taiji kung fu at Wudang Taoist Kungfu School at the Yuanhe Temple. I learned many other things too. Mr Chan, my master, taught us wushu concepts and their meaning every night. He said, All forms of Taiji came from Wudang, one of the oldest and most important schools of Chinese martial arts. It enjoys equal prestige with Shaolin wushu, hence the saying the North has Shaolin while South Wudang. My team mates and brothers loved kung fu just like me. We shared what we learned, helped each other solve problems and remembered that Mr Chan said, Its not easy to learn martial arts and you must never give up. I will continue to learn about Chinese culture and propagate it. I changed a lot because of the trip. Now, when I have problems, I know how to keep calm and think twice before acting. Thank you to my team mates, the organizers and Mr Chan. I miss you all and will never forget our time together. Chris Cheung Yau-man, 22, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Chris Cheung, team mates, brothers and master

Youth Hong Kong

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HKFYG news

Experience the outdoors in Sai Kung

September 2011

During Phase I redevelopment

after completion of Phase II redevelopment

The HKFYG Jockey Club Sai Kung Outdoor Training Camp at Tai Mong Tsai is being redeveloped with HK$133 million from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Watch this space for more news on upgraded facilities. Phase III redevelopment goes ahead
New-look facilities 28-person duplexes as well as 12-person rooms will have views of the sea to the south. Total number of camp beds will be increase from 236 to 460. Canteen block More campers means more diners so a bigger canteen and a cafeteria will offer a varied menu in a more spacious environment. Adventureland Adventure training has always been our main focus and the new Adventureland will have a rope course, sport climbing, a high wall and abseiling facilities. Construction will be completed by 2013. Meantime, overnight and day facilities will remain in service. Looking forward to seeing you all!

F acts he e t
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