SINGAPORE, Feb 12 – The number of drug abusers under 20 arrested in Singapore rose sharply in 2024, with 126 new offenders in this age group detained, according to the city-state’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) in its annual drug statistics report.
The Straits Times reported that the youngest was just 13 years old, significantly below the average onset age of 16, as found in a 2022 survey by the Institute of Mental Health.
CNB noted that 507 of the 966 new abusers arrested in 2024 were below 30, making up 52 per cent of all new cases.
This is a continuation of a trend observed in 2023 when 488 young abusers accounted for 51 per cent of new offenders.
CNB’s acting director, Leon Chan was quoted describing the situation as worrying, citing a growing tolerance towards drug use among younger demographics.
He pointed out that more than half of new cannabis abusers in 2024 were under 30, reflecting an increasing perception of the drug as acceptable among youth despite its legal status in Singapore.
ST reported that methamphetamine remained the most commonly abused drug among offenders under 20, with 89 per cent of cases involving the substance — including three teenage girls aged 13 and 14, arrested on February 8 last year.
“Beyond the damage done to a drug abuser’s health and well-being, the families and loved ones of drug abusers are often the ones suffering silently and invisibly as they shoulder the emotional, financial and sometimes even physical fallout of their loved one’s drug addiction,” Chan was quoted saying.
Singapore maintains a tough stance on drug trafficking, with the government standing firm on the use of the death penalty as a deterrent.
A 2023 survey by the Ministry of Home Affairs found that 68.7 per cent of Singaporean respondents supported the mandatory death penalty for serious drug offences, while 87.9 per cent agreed it was an effective deterrent.
