The Home Affairs Department will allocate 9 million HK dollars in community activities across Hong Kong to encourage a positive life attitude among youngsters to deter them from drugs, Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang said on Tuesday.

Tsang made the remarks on Tuesday with young participants of Tai Po community sports program, organized by Children and Youth Services to discourage youngsters from drug taking through health and sports activities.

Noting a recent survey found drug abusers aged as young as 11, Tsang said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government' s efforts alone are not enough to tackle youth drug abuse, adding the Tai Po program is a model for other districts in pulling all sectors together to address the problem.

He reiterated the government will boost efforts in mobilizing the community, drug testing, rehabilitation and law enforcement.

Details about the school-based drug-testing trial scheme will also be finalized with input from schools, social workers and doctors in the coming two months so it can be implemented in the new academic year in Tai Po.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2009)