The school drug-testing scheme in Tai Po is running smoothly with no confirmed positive cases found so far, the Government says.

By the end of January, the Student Drug Testing Team had visited all 23 participating public secondary schools in Tai Po. A total of 313 students were randomly selected and 264 took the test.

Nine could not provide an instant urine sample for the test. Another 38 were assessed by the testing team nurse to be unsuitable for the test, due to their physical condition or because they were on medication.

Two students refused to take the test and the school contacted their parents. They have withdrawn from the voluntary scheme.

Until the end of January, one false-positive case was found. The sample was sent to the Government Laboratory for confirmatory testing and a negative result was obtained.

Since the collection of consent forms in early December, 50 more students and their parents have joined the scheme.

The testing team will continue visiting the schools randomly for tests until June.

The Government has no immediate plan to extend the scheme. It will study the trial report before deciding the way forward.