New committee to look into drug use among youths, after study found 42% of abusers started before 18

SINGAPORE - A new committee will be set up to look into drug use among youth, following an Institute of Mental Health (IMH) study which found that the starting mean age for drug consumption among Singaporeans and permanent residents was 15.9 years.

The Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths was announced by Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam on the sidelines of his visit on Tuesday to Pertapis Halfway House, where he launched a programme to train the home’s residents in work skills.

“We will try and see how we can focus on drug prevention efforts in homes – through parents – in schools, in the community, in national service. We’ve got to approach this from many different aspects,” he said at a doorstop interview. 

The committee is chaired by Mr Shanmugam and will involve the Education, Social and Family Development, Culture, Community and Youth, Defence, Communications and Information, and Health ministries, as well as the People’s Association.

It is made up of seven senior ministers of state, ministers of state and senior parliamentary secretaries from the various ministries. It will look into developing a whole-of-government response to the drug problem among youth, with a focus on drug prevention, and will start in the third quarter of this year.

Responding to a question from the media, Mr Shanmugam said: “How do we try and get the message across that drugs are a serious problem?

“It has gotten across to many Singaporeans, or most Singaporeans, I would say. We need to emphasise it, drive it home further. Also, we have to approach the young people themselves.”

He added: “That is why we need to work with the parents, with the community, with the schools, national service – in a variety of different ways. And send the message, give them alternatives, give them opportunities to think about it, think carefully, and try to keep them out of trouble.”

The first survey on the prevalence of illicit drug use here, conducted by IMH between April 2021 and July 2022, found that 41.8 per cent of abusers started consuming drugs before the age of 18.

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It estimated that 0.7 per cent of Singapore residents had abused drugs in the past year.

Among those who had abused drugs, curiosity was the most common reason for starting to do so. Other reasons included peer pressure and the belief that drugs could help them cope with problems.

On Tuesday, Mr Shanmugam also responded to a question on whether Singapore will face more challenges in its drug situation, with Thailand legalising cannabis and Malaysia abolishing the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking.

He said: “The challenges are increasing, and the challenges are not only regional. If you look at one aspect, there is a lot of wrong, false information out there – narratives which are driven by profit motives, which seek to mislead on drugs, including on cannabis.”

Announcing the new programme at Pertapis, Mr Shanmugam said it provides offenders with work therapy and training, to help them better prepare for a job, both psychologically and on the skills front.

Pertapis currently houses about 90 residents who are repeat drug offenders, aged between 30 and 70. The programme is aimed at reducing five-year recidivism rates.

“From Prisons’ perspective, the more we can help them, and work with partners, hopefully that will help the (supervisees) stay out of trouble and away from drugs, so they don’t go back to prison. We find that being employed and working at a job is one of the key factors in keeping people out of prison,” said Mr Shanmugam, referring to the Singapore Prison Service.

The new programme includes tasks like paper shredding to allow elderly offenders with weekly medical appointments to earn an allowance, while disposing of documents in an eco-friendly way.

Pertapis also has a Drive For Change initiative that allows residents to get their driving licences while being attached to a movers’ team, which provides logistical services to internal and external clients.

Pertapis resident Razak (not his real name), who is in Drive For Change, said he hopes to become a safety manager in a hotel. The 44-year-old is also taking a part-time SkillsFuture course in safety supervision to work towards his goal.

“I want to put my time to good use while I’m here,” he said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.