HKJC supports anti-drug education through new P.A.T.H.S. programmes

10 December 2009

Adolescent drug abuse is a pressing issue in the community.  According to the statistics of the first six months of 2009 from the Government's Central Registry of Drug Abuse, over 2,000 reported drug abusers were aged under 20 while some 500 of those were under 16.  Nearly 65 per cent of the under-21 abusers reported that peer influence was the key reason for their drugs use.

Taking reference from the trends, P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme has developed new programmes to address common teenage problems such as drugs, sex, bullying, Internet use and materialism, so as to help junior secondary students develop positive and healthy attitudes to face these challenges.  The new teaching manuals will be made available for schools by stages, starting from the second term of academic year 2009/10.

Today (10 December), P.A.T.H.S. Principal Investigator Professor Daniel Shek and his research team members introduced the newly-developed units for anti-drug education to secondary school principals, teachers and social workers.

Noting that anti-drug education programmes had been implemented at schools for some years, Professor Shek said the impact of these had been limited as they were focused on moral objections, exhortations and negative influences on health.  "The most effective prevention programme must adopt a skills-focused approach that focuses on addressing the primary motivators of adolescent drug use, particularly influences from peers, the family and one's own emotions," he stressed.  "The newly-developed programmes in P.A.T.H.S. will make students more aware of these social influences.  The teaching manuals developed by our research team will help enhance students' abilities in terms of judgement, self-determination and emotional management, which will better equip them to say 'no' to the temptation of drugs."

The 60 new programme units outlined by Professor Shek are being developed for students from Secondary One to Secondary Three levels and cover such topics as drug abuse, smoking, sex and love relationships, depression and pressure, desperation, materialism and the core values of life.  "The research team has allocated about one-third of 60 units to anti-drug education, implying the importance of this issue among young people," he noted.  "With the support of school social workers, principals, teachers and parents, we hope young people will clearly recognise the harmful effects of drugs."

P.A.T.H.S. to Adulthood: A Jockey Club Youth Enhancement Scheme was initiated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in 2005 in collaboration with the Government's Social Welfare Department and Education Bureau.  Renowned academics from five local universities have established a research team to develop a range of youth development programmes for local junior secondary students with the aim of helping them explore their potential, establish self-identity, foster closer ties with others, and develop positive beliefs and clear values. 

In the light of strong support from the local education sector, the original 3½-year project has been extended for three more school years from 2009/10 to 2011/12.  The aim of this extension is to help participating schools consolidate knowledge and experience gained from the first phase and encourage them to integrate the programmes into their normal curriculum as part of the basic whole-person development education for junior secondary students.  Further details of P.A.T.H.S. are available at www.paths.hk.

125th Anniversary of The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club is celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2009/10 season.  Over the past 125 years, it has become one of Hong Kong's best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city's major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city's growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.