'Testing sewage for drugs a possibility'

Former police commissioner Andy Tsang said Hong Kong had to stay alert for drug problems as a number of countries have been legalising cannabis. He said the SAR can adopt scientific means to monitor drug use including testing the city's sewers. “There's a way to examine it, to monitor it, and that is by scientific means. In China, we do this by the analysis of sewage water… to check for the presence of drugs and the type of drugs so that we have a good understanding of the drug problem in the locality,” said Tsang. Speaking to RTHK in Beijing, Tsang, who’s also the deputy director of the National Narcotics Control Commission, explained that there are new drugs disguised in different forms, and by analysing sewage water, authorities can better monitor the use of drugs. The former police chief expressed concern that Hong Kong people could bring their drug habits from overseas back to the city. “Given the decriminalisation of cannabis by a number of countries, more so in the West, but lately also in Asia, including one of our neighbouring countries, this is worrying,” he said.