During this period, drug use was limited to social events due to limited access to the drug supply (peers only). The user feels that he controls the drugs, and the drugs are used to improve mood (psychedelic effects). The drug also becomes readily available to the user. If they have a supply of medication available, users are tempted and think there is little harm in taking a small amount. When their drug-use behaviour continues, they start using drugs on their own because they often need them to cope with personal problems. The nighttime economy plays a controversial role in drug use. For one, the nightclub was an important place for passive addicts to gain their first drug experience. According to numerous Western drug studies (42, 43), the popularity of mind-altering drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine is strongly linked to dance culture (44, 45). However, Hong Kong`s nightlife economy began to decline in the mid-2000s. A series of police raids on illegal shops in nightclubs and frequent inspections of nightclubs have severely destroyed the night-time economy, leading to a decline in drug use in public places.
On the other hand, the decline of the nighttime economy has shifted drug use activities from semi-public to entirely private settings, leading to the emergence of hidden drug users. Unlike the Western nightlife economy, where club-based drug use is often considered “semi-open” (46), this study shows that frequent drug users tend to purchase drugs through their personal networks because of the affordability, accessibility and availability of drugs. The more experience they have with drugs, the more important their drug social networks are. Heroin is a highly addictive narcotic derived from morphine, which in turn is extracted from the latex of the opium poppy. The heroin used by Hong Kong drug addicts is made from opium poppy grown in the Golden Triangle, and the drug is produced in a state of high purity (up to 90%), ready for consumption. Some of these new drugs (methamphetamine) were somewhat inconvenient to use in public due to the tools (glass pipe and snuff kit) and space requirements. Initially, drugs (ecstasy and ketamine) were simply something they could take on the spot to boost the festive spirit. Now they need a “hidden space” to protect them from the public. They often use a friend`s space to collect and use drugs for that intimacy and convenience.
When I started bringing the leftovers home, I slowly got used to taking them with me on my own. Most of the time, I hid and took it alone when I was unhappy at work or in relationships. Other times, I found my ex or guys who liked me to take drugs so I could express my feelings. (Participant L, 3 to 5 years of drug use) I didn`t know what the drug concept was at the time, only that my friends were taking them, so I followed. After taking them, they behaved strangely, which was hysterical. During this time, they seemed fine to me after taking them, so I had nothing to worry about and took the pills like them. Drugs were just kind of entertainment for me at the time to kill my boredom and enjoy a good time with my friends. After a few years, my friends switched from pills and weed to heroin, so I did the same. (Participant B, 11-20 years of drug use) Despite these seemingly promising numbers, recent statistics have also shown that once “detectable” drug use patterns have only become “undetectable.” It was found that offenders newly reported in 2015 had an average age of 29 years, compared to 23 years in 2006; They also have an average drug history of 5.8 years in 2015, three times more than the 1.9 years in 2008 (1). These figures suggest that increased government action could encourage drug abusers to report and seek rehabilitation services. In the end, they may even be hidden and harder to reach.
According to the 2014/2015 Student Drug Use Survey, only one in five addicts sought help from others, and this figure has actually decreased alarmingly since 2004/2005 (16). More than 80% of addicts took drugs at home or with friends; and 56% used drugs at home or only with friends at home, a significant increase from 38% in 2006 (1). In addition, it has been repeatedly found that addicts often perceive addicts as non-addictive and are able to control their drug use behaviour (17). These data suggest not only that the problem of substance abuse still exists in Hong Kong, but also that abusers` help-seeking tendencies have decreased, often choosing not to report their addiction until their lives have been significantly affected by ongoing substance abuse. Since I became numb after taking this problematic ecstasy, I started taking methamphetamine to amplify my drug shot. (Participant J, 11-20 years of drug use) Recreational drug use is characterized by the use of drugs with psychoactive effects without medical justification for personal use. Recreational drug use in Hong Kong among young adults has increased in recent decades,[15] has become popular due to the introduction of club culture in the West and young people`s open attitude towards illegal drug use in the normal leisure setting. [16] The revival of this trend is linked to changes in adolescent addiction habits, primarily through festive drugs such as ketamine and MDMA. The popularization of party drugs in nightclubs and raves is due to their ability to enhance the mood, promote the atmosphere of dancing and a feeling of euphoria. [17] Along with MDMA and ketamine, cannabis, cocaine and GHB are considered the most popular illicit drug of choice among adolescents. 78% of teens who frequent nightclubs have chosen ketamine and 66% would use MDMA, and less than 12% would use other drugs such as cannabis and methamphetamine.
[18] [19] Hong Kong has long adopted a zero-tolerance approach to drugs, even those that are legal elsewhere. The city will ban products containing cannabidiol, a cannabis extract that the World Health Organization has called “harmless” and better known as CBD. The following section provides an overview of the different periods of drug abuse in Hong Kong since the Action Committee on Narcotic Drugs (PAC) commissioned the Central Registry in the 1970s to formally collect and record data on reported drug addicts and present its development in four important periods, each with characteristics. However, it should be noted that these periods are not mutually exclusive, as overlapping characteristics can sometimes be found in more than one time period. Ultimately, this section enters the current phase of hidden drug abuse, which began in the early 2000s but was first mentioned in a government report in 2012 (21). Illicit drug abuse is the act of using drugs banned by the government or strictly controlled prescription to alter consciousness and emotions. The Hong Kong government has a zero-tolerance policy towards illicit drug use. Drugs such as cannabis and ecstasy, which may be considered recreational drugs in other countries, are illegal in Hong Kong.
[1] The dance school I worked at was in Jordan, and there was a drug den nearby. A friend told me about this place. I went from going from a little when I met my ex from time to time to several times a day and I used more each time. (Participant L, 3 to 5 years of drug use) This study identified five stages of drug use by habitual drug users within their population. It shows peer influence as the main factor in initial exposure to drug use. The positive psychological rewards induced by drug use, such as euphoria, drug sharing and peer-to-peer giving, build their trust and strengthen their relationships. Drugs are initially inaccessible to ordinary people until they “meet” a user. In conjunction with peer influence and other factors, the individual is trying drugs for the first time. The positive social reinforcements they experience encourage repeated use. Access to drugs is initially limited, so the user plays a passive role, but changes after the user has direct access by meeting a drug dealer, thus encouraging the user to use drugs regularly. However, abuse eventually leads to distrust and mistrust of peers and harms bonds with these other drug users. In addition, continued abuse leads to physiological and psychological complications that also force the offender to retreat into social isolation, resulting in the phenomenon of “hidden drug abuse”.
After taking medication frequently, my distrust of others grew.