| Summary: | Even as Singapore continues making strides in its war against narcotics, one battleground is starting to look bleak. Drug abuse is rising among young teens, and some social workers say it has become the most alarming threat to at-risk youth here in the last five years.
Arrests for drug abuse among Singapore’s youth under 20 have nearly doubled from 2014 to 2019, according to the Central Narcotics Bureau, despite overall youth arrest rates consistently falling since 2009.
The surging numbers are partially driven by the recent onset of a new class of drugs, dubbed new psychoactive substances, which are easily modifiable; hence allowing chemists to create new variants once authorities catch wind of them.
Authorities and social workers also noted that the profile of young drug abusers has recently expanded to include middle and upper-class families, to the extent where drug abuse risk for youth is equal throughout all wealth classes and social statuses. But the lingering stereotype that young addicts only come from poor families has blindsided parents of abusers with wealthier backgrounds, they added.
Online platforms such as social media and video gaming have also made narcotics more accessible to youth by providing additional avenues for youngsters to link up with gangs or local networks where drugs are prevalent. The number of people arrested for buying drugs or other items for substance abuse online increased by ninefold from 2015 to 2020, from 30 arrests to 287.
Finally, this package will discuss new intervention programmes and strategies established by government agencies and youth organisations to combat the growth of drug abuse in Singapore.
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