Survey shows more support for mandatory death penalty for trafficking significant amount of drugs: Shanmugam

Citing the results of the 2025 National Drug Perception Survey, Mr Shanmugam said nearly 93 per cent of youth respondents and more than 96 per cent of the adults surveyed said Singapore should continue to maintain its tough laws to keep drugs out.

Support among youth respondents has increased since the last survey in 2023.

“While many parts of the world have either given up the fight against drugs or have said they are going to legalise for a variety of reasons … we have swum against the tide,” he said, calling the results of the survey “extremely heartening”.

“And we have actually increased our support from the population, including our young people.”

CRIMINAL GANGS

When governments are tolerant or not so effective in dealing with drugs, criminal gangs make their move, Mr Shanmugam said in his speech. 

He gave examples of the situation in places such as South America, which has become a key source of drugs and key transit point for cocaine, he said. 

In Uruguay, for instance, gangs have become brazen, even attacking the house of the anti-narcotics prosecutor with guns. 

In North America, marijuana is legalised, which Mr Shanmugam said has resulted in very significant public health consequences. 

In Europe, there is increasing concern over cocaine. While authorities have tried to step up enforcement to fight drug trafficking, their approach has been “fairly tolerant”, he added. 

“Criminal gangs have taken root … They are now corrupting officials, and recruiting young persons to carry drugs, traffic drugs and to assassinate others.”

Drugs also impose large socio-economic costs on the entire society, he added.