Initiation, Continuation and Impact of Drug Use Among Females

This study was undertaken in response to the growing public concern about the rise of drug use among females. The reasons for this rise are partly connected to the overall rise in psychotropic drug use and can be understood at two distinct levels. At one level, these drugs have become embedded in the global and local youth and music culture. In part, the global youth scene has greatly impacted and shaped the nature and problems associated with teen and young adult drug use in Hong Kong. Yet as we describe in this report, young people’s use of these drugs is no longer solely confined to the dance scene, but has surfaced in other social arenas, and is linked to larger issues about the ways in which young people are coping with the strains and pressures in a society placing high expectations on educational attainment, and at the same time, offering limited opportunities for personal youth development and employment.