Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning.
1. Congratulations to the organisers of the 2nd Harm Prevention Seminar. I would like thank Dr Harvey Milkman for accepting our invitation to share at this year’s Harm Prevention Series.
2. The theme of this year’s seminar is “CommUNITY against Drug Abuse.” Drugs affect people of all ages from all walks of life. To stand against the threat of drugs, we must rely on the power of a united community. Only together can we make a difference and build a stronger, drug-free community.
3. Today, I will speak about:
(a) First, the challenges to Singapore’s Harm Prevention approach; and
(b) Second, the need for a whole-of-community approach to strengthen efforts against drug abuse.
Challenges to Singapore’s Approach Towards Drugs
4. In recent years, two of Singapore’s main challenges in our fight against drugs are:
(a) First, young drug abusers; and
(b) Second, the increasing momentum of international drug liberalisation.
Young Drug Abuse
5. On the first challenge, young drug abusers remain one of our main concerns.
6. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in 2022 that, globally, around 284 million people aged 15 – 64 used drugs in 2020. This means approximately 1 in every 18 people. What is even more troubling is that the report stated that many countries were seeing more youths taking drugs than before, particularly cannabis. For instance, in Africa and Latin America, people below 35 formed the majority of those being treated for drug use disorders.
7. In Singapore, young drug abusers below 30 form around 27% of our total drug abusers.
(a) CNB’s annual statistics report showed that there was a near 17% increase in young drug abusers arrested in 2023 compared to 2022.
8. Youths are at a pivotal stage of their lives – they are either still studying or at the start of their careers.
(a) An IMH study published in 2023 found that 4 in 10 drug abusers in Singapore started abusing drugs before 18 years old.
(b) Their lack of maturity in this developmental stage can make them susceptible to influence. They may feel that there is no harm to “try” and that they can always “stop” when they want to.
(c) But, as we know, stopping is infinitely harder than starting. Once lured into the downward spiral of addiction, they will be trapped in a cycle of destruction. Drugs will ravage their health and young minds. It will also shatter their dreams and aspirations.
(d) We cannot let that happen to any of us – our family members, our children and our future generations.
Increasing Momentum of International Drug Liberalisation
9. To protect our people, Singapore must continue our harm prevention approach towards drugs.
10. But external developments have made it more challenging for us to maintain our strict drug laws and policies.
11. More countries are moving towards drug legalisation and decriminalisation. It is happening in almost every region of the world.
12. For instance, most recently:
(a) Malaysia, our closest neighbour, announced in May 2023 its intention to decriminalise the use of small amounts of drugs to reduce prison overcrowding.
(b) In Canada, the province of British Columbia started a pilot programme in February 2023 decriminalising possession of small amounts of hard drugs. Their rationale was that this would help the drug crisis by reducing the barriers to seeking treatment.
(c) In April this year, Germany legalised the possession of small amounts of cannabis. They argued that legalisation will help contain the growing black market for cannabis.
13. Our view is that our policies must continue to be informed by science and evidence.
(a) We are all aware of the situation in Thailand. Within six months after cannabis was decriminalised, the number of people considered to be addicted to cannabis quadrupled. Children were reported to have been hospitalised after taking cannabis. Now, barely a year later, Thailand is intending to make a U-turn on their drug policy.
(b) Look also at what has happened in British Columbia. One year after they decriminalised drug possession, their toxic drug deaths reached record levels with an average of seven deaths per day in 2023.
(c) In Germany, both the German medical community and Police Union have criticised the legalisation of cannabis. The President of the German Medical Association stated that legalisation would “trivialise a drug that is proven to be addictive and can lead to serious developmental damage – especially in adolescents and young adults.” The Vice-President of the German Police Union doubted the Government’s claims that legalisation will control the black market for cannabis, stating instead that the Police “assumes that the black market will be strengthened.”
14. So, if we ignore the science and loosen our drug policies like what some countries have done, the drug situation in Singapore will be much worse. This is consistent with what my counterparts have shared with me. The more I hear their stories, the more I am convinced that we have to continue to work hard so that we can protect our people and our future generations from the harms of drugs.
Whole-of-Community Approach towards Harm Prevention
15. To deal with these challenges, a whole-of-community approach is needed.
16. The Icelandic Prevention Model that Dr Milkman will be sharing with you today is one such model: where the entire society – the government, social agencies, schools, families, friends, the entire neighbourhood – is mobilised in the fight against drug abuse.
17. A whole of community approach first needs to be backed by evidence. We are surrounded by sensationalised narratives and misinformation about drugs. There is an urgent need for robust, credible drug research to shed light on drug harms and counter these narratives.
(a) Hence, MHA conducts studies with Institutes of Higher Learning. These studies aim to understand the various factors for drug abuse, including biological, psychological as well as social factors. For instance, MHA is currently working with Nanyang Technological University to understand the various factors influencing youth drug abuse. These studies will provide us with research-based evidence to help us strengthen our drug prevention and rehabilitation efforts.
(b) At the international level, Singapore must also play our part.
(i) This year, Singapore became a member of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs for the first time. We will be funding research that examines the societal impact of illicit drug use globally. It will also study ways in which we can devise better strategies to tackle the world drug problem. The research findings will be shared in the 2025 World Drug Report.
(ii) Separately, Singapore also recently contributed a chapter to the International Encyclopaedia of Public Health about drug harms as part of efforts to strengthen the international drug literature. This will be published later this year.
18. Preventive drug education remains our first line of defence. We must arm our people, our youths, with knowledge, resilience, and support systems to withstand the allure of drugs.
(a) The Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths has been rolling out various initiatives to target the youth drug problem.
(b) Our schools will be extending preventive drug education to other subjects in the school curricula. In the Institutes of Higher Learning, these messages will be reinforced at various junctures, such as orientation sessions and pre-departure briefings for overseas trips.
19. Structured Rehabilitation and Aftercare Programmes are our next line of defence. With the support of our community partners, many of whom are here today, our rehabilitation and aftercare programmes help drug abusers return to society and desist from drugs.
(a) To achieve longer-term desistance, the Desistor Network was formed in 2023 to create an ecosystem of support for ex-offenders, including ex-drug abusers. The Network enables our partners to tap on one another’s strengths to expand the support available for ex-drug abusers. In addition, through the Network, there are more avenues for desistors to provide peer support to other ex-drug abusers. As of April 2024, there are 45 desistor support activities available.
(i) Last night, I was at East Coast for an engagement together with Commissioner of Prisons, our community partners and our desistors. I was very inspired by what our desistors shared, and what they have been doing. Some of them are here today. I want to thank you for the good work.
(b) We also have social services to help specific groups of drug abusers.
(i) One example is the Development & Reintegration Programme. Introduced in 2018, it is a collaboration between AMP and Prisons. It provides a holistic reintegration programme for Malay-Muslim ex-drug abusers and their families. The programme starts at detention and continues through post-release. Since its inception, about 500 ex-drug abusers and their families have been involved. I understand Ms Shafiqah Ashur from AMP will be sharing with us more about this later. In fact, I have followed them during some of their home visits and have also met at least one person whom they have engaged before.
(ii) There is also the Youth Guidance Outreach Services, or YGOS. Since 2020, YGOS has been helping young ex-drug abusers get back on their feet and contribute positively to their community. YGOS helps provide a structured environment for male youths in the Community Rehabilitation Centre to kick their drug addiction. Further, from June this year, YGOS will be working with Prisons to extend their support to Reformative Trainees with drug antecedents.
(c) But a whole of community approach extends beyond just the government or social services. Ground-up initiatives are equally valuable.
(i) One example is Break-the-Cycle or BTC which was formed by an ex-offender, Andrew, together with his two friends, Carter and Joseph. They have been doing amazing work, and I am very impressed with them.
(ii) The group helps ex-offenders reconnect with society through a cycling community. BTC’s volunteers also actively befriend ex-drug abusers even before their release. Recently, BTC collaborated with The Helping Hand to launch “Life Behind Bars”, where halfway house residents take part in cycling workshops to develop new skills. Today, BTC’s group of regulars and volunteers stands at 80 strong.
(iii) Andrew is very passionate and has been working very hard together with his team to inspire many others. He tries to connect with various groups so more can be done as a community, and more can contribute skills, connections, and other networks of support to the efforts undertaken by Andrew and his peers at BTC.
(iv) As we continue to mobilise the community against drugs, I hope we will see many more of such ground-up initiatives. I am sure more will come onboard and we want to encourage them and provide an ecosystem support for pro-social groups and activities.
Conclusion
20. I’ve met many Singaporeans with the right intentions, who shared with me that they want to help and support our cause. We need to work hard and maintain a drug free Singapore, despite the liberal attitudes and drug decriminalising happening in other countries. I sincerely thank all you for coming today.
21. To conclude, I would like to express my appreciation to the attendees today for your efforts in our fight against drugs.
22. I look forward to the panel discussion later, and hope you enjoy the rest of the seminar.
