Drug Abuse in Hong Kong: Research Methodology and Findings

Introduction to the Research Methodology

In research on the menace of drug addiction and wanton drug abuse in Hong Kong, the use of existing literature formed a central part of the entire process. It was considered one of the key sources of information, since interviewing hard-core drug addicts directly may not have been easily feasible. Online books and reliable websites maintained by agencies dealing in social and health matters, health organization websites, and government and related ministry websites were central and instrumental in ensuring that sufficient literature and data were consolidated for the purposes of the research.

There are various reasons why a literature review stood out as a central source of useful information for the purpose of examining drug addiction, drug abuse, and rehabilitation efforts by the government in Hong Kong. The use of peer-reviewed literature stands out as a particularly valuable source of verified information and data from reliable research studies and databases (Ferreras-Fernández, Martín-Rodero, García-Peñalvo, & Merlo-Vega, 2016).

Rationale for Literature Review

Literature reviews also serve as a source of historical trends, allowing researchers to observe how drugs have been a menace over time. Comparing various findings on drug addiction in Hong Kong is instrumental in revealing the trajectory that addiction has followed over the years. With trends extracted from the literature, the research can project the future of drug addiction in Hong Kong and also use those trends to understand the prevailing levels of addiction at the present time.

The research also benefited from a comparative analysis of the data and information available in the field of drug addiction. Sound research is not limited to one or two sources, but instead widens its search to cover as broad a range of relevant material as possible within the subject and related areas (Saur-Amaral, 2011). A wide pool of literature gives the research a more informed approach to the subject of addiction, incorporating the different interpretations that various writers bring to the subject within the Hong Kong context.

It is also important to recognize that the various theories that exist are fundamental to understanding drug addiction. Theories help explain how addiction begins and the reasons behind such human behaviors, and they go further to suggest alternative ways of handling and overcoming drug addiction. These theories can only be sourced through literature reviews (Farah, Fauzee, & Daud, 2016). The theories also informed the arguments and proposals put forth in the research into drug addiction and its possible control.

Literature review additionally gives the researcher access to what different agencies and institutions dealing with drug addiction among youth have to say about the menace. These institutions are authorities in this field, and their perspectives on drug addiction are important for enriching the findings of the research.

There are alternative methodologies that could have been used in this research, including structured questionnaires, structured interview schedules, and observation. Questionnaires could have captured the individual views of both healthcare professionals and drug addicts themselves, as well as members of the broader society (O'Cathain & Thomas, 2004). These views could then be compiled and analyzed to provide a clearer picture of the drug addiction trend in Hong Kong. Structured interviews could also be instrumental in understanding the attitudes of Hong Kong residents toward drug abuse and the individual and collective measures that society and professionals are taking to reduce and control drug use (Whiting, 2008). Personal observation could also have worked, though this may prove exhausting at times, since drug use is not conducted openly given its illegal nature. An observer would need to spend a considerable amount of time building trust with drug users before being able to observe them directly.

The search for the literature used in this research was an exhaustive process that began with examining annotated bibliographies on drug abuse among young people in general, drawing on literature based in various cities across the globe. These annotated bibliographies aided in narrowing down the relevant literature and identifying useful online articles and books pertinent to this research. The library databases PubMed, Medline, EbscoHost, and Cochrane Library were used to search and gather articles. These online libraries proved valuable, as they are readily accessible to both the researcher and the end user of the research, allowing readers to follow reference links to access original sources for further reading (Ferreras-Fernández et al., 2016). Online articles hosted by institutions were also considered reliable sources of data, as these are authoritative bodies in the field of drug abuse that provide objective information capable of constructively informing research.

With an aim to identifying methods for preventing drug abuse among youth in Hong Kong, the literature review focused primarily on articles that analyzed the prevalence of drug abuse among young people both in Hong Kong and in other parts of the world. Numerous strategies have been employed to reduce relapse, particularly among youth. This led to questioning which strategies are most effective in preventing relapse. Specifically, the review sought to establish whether short-acting opioids, when compared to non-opioid therapy, reduce the incidence of drug use relapse.

In order to narrow the research and identify only the most relevant sources, synonyms related to drug addiction were used as search terms. These included: drug use, drug abuse, effects of drugs among youth, Hong Kong drug control, Hong Kong health agencies, Hong Kong youth and drugs, effects of drug addiction, overcoming drug addiction, signs of drug addiction, legal measures against drugs in Hong Kong, relapse prevention, opioids, and non-opioid therapy. These search terms guided the identification of relevant information on the drug addiction menace in Hong Kong.

Procedure for the Literature Review

The inclusion criteria required that any article originating from an institution, a health organization, a government body, or a drug rehabilitation agency be considered for this research. This helped ensure that only authentic articles yielding useful information were retained. The exclusion criteria excluded any article that did not meet the above criteria; articles belonging to private individuals were excluded because their information was not independently verifiable and often reflected personal opinions rather than well-researched arguments supported by data.

The critiquing criteria were guided by how well the literature was written, the reliability of the author, the purpose of the article or study, and the thematic orientation of the article. Thematic analysis also helped in evaluating available data to support decisions about inclusion or exclusion.

The ethical implications of conducting a literature review as a research methodology include the constraint that the researcher is bound to information already collected by another party and does not have the opportunity to probe further or pose follow-up questions (Saur-Amaral, 2011). The risk here is that if there are changes in the dynamics of the researched topic — for instance, shifts in drug abuse patterns among Hong Kong youth — the researcher may not be able to capture those changes in a timely manner. The researcher is also unable to critique findings against what is actually happening on the ground, as would be possible with observational or questionnaire-based methods. A further ethical concern is the question of whether the research information being used was itself collected ethically and without harm or malpractice (O'Cathain & Thomas, 2004). Researchers must also give proper credit to all sources, which is itself an ethical obligation.

Despite the fact that numerous papers and books were examined in the process of gathering information, nine papers were specifically selected as sufficiently useful in the context of this research, having passed the exclusion and inclusion criteria. The articles represent a mix of ethnographic studies, surveys, clinical trial reports, randomized controlled trials, and social scientific studies conducted within communities.

The selection of the articles was guided by the source and the relevance of each article to the study. Those deemed most useful for the research are described below.

Beciewicz J.G. (2016). Injecting Drug Use. This article from a medical institution was instrumental in outlining the drugs most commonly administered by injection, the effects they have, how they lead to addiction, and the dangers associated with injected drug use.

National Centre for Biotechnology Information (2018). The Effectiveness and Risks of Long-Term Opioid Treatment of Chronic Pain. This article, sourced from a well-respected government research agency, highlighted the risks associated with the long-term use of opioids in the treatment of chronic pain and how such use can lead to addiction or abuse. It informed the research that addiction may arise not only from illegal drugs but also from prescription medications used over extended periods.

Pacific Prime (2018). Youth and Drug Abuse: Easy Access Alarming Parents in Hong Kong. This article is based on an ethnographic study conducted in Hong Kong among youth and young adults. It examined how easily children of school-going age can access drugs, and it revealed the various means contemporary young people use to acquire and peddle drugs within learning institutions. The article illustrates how close the drug trade has come to individual households.