SINGAPORE — With drugs increasingly perceived as “stress relievers” or non-addictive and increasingly available online, more new abusers were nabbed last year, with figures for the under-20 group soaring by 51 per cent.

There were 1,311 new drug abusers arrested last year, nearly 20 per cent more than the 1,093 in the preceding year. Of these, 260 were below 20 years old, while 641 were between the ages of 20 and 29, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) revealed in its annual report on the drug situation today (Feb 15). As such, new drug abusers under 30 made up more than two-thirds (69 per cent) of the total number of new abusers last year.

The number of repeat offenders fell marginally by about two per cent to 2,027. In total, CNB arrested 3,338 drug abusers last year — up six per cent from the previous year.

Commenting on the figures, CNB director Ng Ser Song said the authorities were concerned over “signs of increasingly tolerant attitudes towards drugs, particularly among older youths”.

“For example, nearly 70 per cent of new drug abusers were below the age of 30. Second, among new abusers, cannabis has displaced heroin to become the second most abused drug after methamphetamine,” he said.

Graphic: Drugs abuse on the rise, especially among teens. (Click to enlarge)

Preventive drug education remained a “first line of defence”, said Mr Ng, adding that the authorities would continue to educate youths on the harmfulness of drugs.

Methamphetamine overtook heroin to become the most abused drug last year, with about 93 per cent of all those nabbed having abused one of the two drugs. Among the new offenders, methamphetamine (77 per cent) and cannabis (12 per cent) were the most popular. Previously, heroin (9 per cent) was more commonly abused than cannabis among newcomers.

Last year, the authorities launched 49 major operations, clamping down on middle-level traffickers, street peddlers and drug abusers, and also conducted 2,047 operations at the checkpoints. In total, they seized an estimated S$8.56 million worth of drugs — up by five per cent from S$8.17 million in the year before. Cannabis seizures increased by about a quarter to 44.29kg.

A preventive drug education toolkit for educators and youth counsellors was developed with the Education Ministry last year, in line with the recommendations of the Task Force on Youths and Drugs. Over the year, 575 anti-drug and inhalant abuse programmes and activities — talks, skits, roadshows and exhibitions — were conducted.

With globalisation abound, youths are likely to be more exposed to certain “shifting perceptions” on drug use, said Dr Tan Wu Meng, who sits on the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Home Affairs and Law. Furthermore, youths tend to be impressionable and are subjected to peer influence.

Mr Freddy Wee, deputy director of drug rehabilitation halfway house Breakthrough Missions, said a lack of family attention, compounded with peer influence, could lead youths astray. “Parents must create activities that interest their children. Otherwise the children would entertain themselves online and learn about drugs on the Internet,” he said.

Dr Carol Balhetchet, senior director for youth services at the Singapore Children’s Society, noted: “Youths are going through a lot more stress than previous generation. So having instant gratification from drinking and taking drugs is very attractive to them.” One way to deal with the problem would be to find ways to reduce stress levels or expel stress, she suggested.

Mr Desmond Choo, who also sits on the GPC for Home Affairs and Law, has seen such cases in his ward. The parents of a young professional — in his mid-20s — approached him for financial aid, and he discovered that their son had been nabbed for drug abuse.

“A friend told him it’s an easy way to relieve stress. And he (probably) thought it was a soft drug and he couldn’t get addicted to it,” he said, adding that further education to eradicate the misconception was necessary.