1 in 3 Hongkongers do not know ‘space oil' health risks, drug survey finds
The narcotic, typically packaged in e-cigarette capsules and containing the anaesthetic etomidate, has been gaining popularity among young people, sparking widespread concern.
The substance will be classified as a dangerous drug on February 14, with the maximum penalty for possession increased to seven years' jail and a HK$1 million (US$128,205) fine. Trafficking may result in life imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine upon conviction.
At present, the substance is classified as a poison, and possession carries a maximum penalty of a HK$100,000 fine and two years' prison.
The CROSS centre, which provides anti-drug services and is under the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, on Monday revealed the findings of a survey it conducted between September and December last year involving more than 1,600 residents via online questionnaires and its school network.
Christopher Sin Chun-kit, a clinical psychologist at the centre, said almost 30 per cent of respondents had no idea about the health effects of space oil.
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South China Morning Post
29-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Face Off: Should students have mandatory counselling sessions in school?
If you are interested in joining future Face Off debates, fill out this form to submit your application. For: Claudia Loh, 16, Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School Claudia Loh attends Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School. Photo: Handout Hong Kong students face an immense amount of pressure. One 2023 study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) found that 24.4 per cent of children and adolescents had experienced at least one mental health issue in the past year, and more than 8 per cent of secondary school students had thought about suicide. The demand for the Hospital Authority's psychiatric services has also been on the rise in recent years. It is clear there is a mental health crisis in Hong Kong, and we need to take urgent action. Most students need help. But the stigma surrounding mental health issues makes speaking up difficult. Students may feel reluctant to admit, even to themselves, that they need support. Therefore, mandatory counselling sessions would benefit students and society. Hong Kong Gen Z anxiety rates soar, study calls for emotional education First, for a student who struggles but does not reach out for help, required counselling would ensure they get the support needed. For society, this move would help destigmatise mental health issues and normalise seeking help. In the future, people will be less reluctant to admit they need help and seek it. Even for students who don't necessarily need mental health support, it can be beneficial to talk out any problems they might have. They can also build resilience and learn good coping mechanisms to lead healthier lives. While hiring counsellors may be expensive, I believe it is worth the cost. Mental health is just as important as physical health. Schools have nurses, so why not therapists? Mental well-being is integral to development and greatly affects our quality of life. Why are Hong Kong teens 'lying flat'? For some, it's 'not as stressful' Still, it is important to recognise that not every school can afford mandatory counselling sessions led by professionals. As an alternative, community members and older students should be trained by counsellors and armed with resources. Then, they can help counsel younger students and lead mental health support initiatives. As older students were once in the place of younger pupils, they can provide their perspectives and tailored solutions. While this may not be traditional counselling, it still provides structural support for students. This alternative would not replace professional help but supplement it. In conclusion, it is essential that students are taught effective coping mechanisms and have access to support in school. If you have suicidal thoughts or know someone who is experiencing them, help is available. In Hong Kong, you can dial 18111 for the government-run Mental Health Support Hotline. You can also call +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call or text 988 or chat at for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For a list of other nations' helplines, see this page. Against: Cadence Kwok, 19, Marymount Secondary School Cadence Kwok attends Marymount Secondary School. Photo: Handout While counselling should be readily available to students, making it mandatory would have downsides. For students who find their stress levels manageable, this requirement puts unnecessary pressure on them. Moreover, these required sessions would eat away at the limited free time that students enjoy, which could have been used to explore their non-academic interests or simply get some well-deserved rest. With already hectic schedules, compulsory counselling would be more burdensome than beneficial. Some may argue that students are afraid to reach out for help, and school counselling would give them access to professional support. But if their participation is required rather than a decision they have made, would they truly open up about their emotions? Students would be reluctant to express themselves fully if they feel they are being 'forced' to attend. This makes sessions less effective, as counsellors will not get a thorough understanding of each student's emotional state. How practising gratitude can benefit your mental health and help during tough times For students in dire need of help, this initiative provides inadequate support. A much higher demand would drastically increase counsellors' workload. Previously, they may have worked with a few cases and easily stayed up to date with each person's circumstances. Now, they would have to provide counselling to every student in the school. Inevitably, students in need would not only receive less individual time with a counsellor, but the quality of counselling would drop as well. To conserve time, counsellors may organise group sessions to fulfil their duty in the most efficient manner, rather than one-on-one sessions. Then, each student would not get sufficient time to focus on their personal struggles, and attention would be diverted towards more talkative students. Advice given may not be as concrete and specific to each individual. Counselling then fails to achieve its intended purpose of offering practical suggestions to enhance mental health. Weez Walk raises money for youth mental health in Hong Kong while giving people a chance to 'walk and talk' It is undeniable that students must find ways to relieve their day-to-day stress and uplift their mood. School counselling provides a safe space to talk things out and gain a more mature, adult perspective on the obstacles they face. However, mandatory counselling sessions are not the solution. It is better to continue providing counselling for students who voluntarily sign up.
HKFP
29-06-2025
- HKFP
‘Peace of mind': Patient companions ease pain of China's bustling, bamboozling hospitals
At a bustling Beijing hospital, Tian Yigui hands over some of his elderly wife's paperwork to Meng Jia, a 'patient companion' hired to help navigate China's stretched and bureaucratic healthcare system. Yawning funding gaps and patchy medical coverage have long funnelled many Chinese people towards better-resourced city hospitals for much-needed care. Sprawling, overcrowded and noisy, the facilities can be exhausting for patients and their families, especially the elderly. The problem has fuelled the rise of patient companions, or 'peizhenshi', a lucrative and unofficial service in the country's growing gig economy. Tian, 83, said most Beijing hospitals were 'overwhelmingly confusing'. 'We have to go up and down all the floors, wait for elevators, wait in lines… it's really troublesome,' he told AFP. Elsewhere at the People's Liberation Army General Hospital in the Chinese capital, patients faced long queues, myriad check-ins and a whirl of digital payment codes. Hospital aides wearing bright red sashes rattled off directions into headsets as hundreds of patients filed through the colossal lobby. Armed with a sheaf of papers at a traditional Chinese medicine ward, Meng breezed through check-in before joining Tian and wife Gao Yingmin in a consultation room. Leaving Gao to rest in a waiting area, Meng then brought Tian to a payment counter before explaining to the couple how to pick up prescribed medications. For a four-hour service, patient companions like Meng charge around 300 yuan (US$40). It is worth every penny for Gao, 78, who is undergoing treatment for complications from throat surgery. The helpers are 'convenient, practical and (give us) peace of mind', she said, straining against a breathing tube. 'We no longer have to worry… they do all the work for us.' 'Real need' Hundreds of advertisements for patient companions have sprung up on Chinese social media in recent years. Embed from Getty Images Authorities appear to allow the companions in hospitals because they are broadly in line with the government's promotion of health services for seniors. Meng, 39, had no medical background before enrolling in a weeklong training programme run by Chengyi Health, an online platform that connects patients and companions. Founder Li Gang, a former anaesthesiologist, said 'there's a big knowledge gap when it comes to medical care'. Large Chinese hospitals can have over 50 clinical departments, each with numerous sub-specialities. That means many people 'don't know how to go to the doctor', Li said. While some young people — such as expectant mothers — hire companions, some two-thirds of Chengyi's clients are aged 60 or older. Trainee Tao Yuan, 24, said he left his job at an internet company to pursue a vocation 'more valuable than money'. A generation born under China's now-abolished one-child policy are approaching middle age and caring for their elderly parents alone. Increasing work and family pressure had left them with a 'real need' for help, Tao said. Ageing nation China's healthcare system has long struggled to tackle deep-seated regional funding gaps and inconsistent access to equipment and medical staff. Limited treatment options, especially in rural areas, push many patients into municipal hospitals for comparatively minor ailments. Embed from Getty Images 'It's a perennial structure problem,' said Wang Feng, an expert on Chinese demographics at the University of California, Irvine. Working adults have no time to take elderly parents to hospital, while technology cannot yet replace human caregivers, he said. China 'will have a larger… demand for personal assistance' as the elderly account for an ever bigger proportion of the population, Wang said. Authorities are betting big on the 'silver economy' — products and services for older people, which totalled seven trillion yuan ($970 billion) last year, according to the nonprofit China Association of Social Welfare and Senior Service. The figures are a bright spot in an economy struggling to maintain strong growth and robust youth employment. Xiao Shu, who asked to be identified by a nickname for privacy, told AFP he made around 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) per month – a tidy wage in China's competitive capital. But the former dentistry worker said there were limits to the service. The 36-year-old once refused to take a client's nearly 90-year-old father to a post-surgery check-up. 'If something happened to him, who would be responsible for it?' he said.
The Standard
25-06-2025
- The Standard
HK expands e-Channel service to mainland Chinese travelers
'Space Oil' could become 'Zombie Oil' in HK's bid to strip drug of cool factor
