\n<\/p>\n
Singapore’s approach focuses on harm prevention and policy is anchored on enforcement, education and rehabilitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The country has a tough framework of laws and robust enforcement, and invests heavily in upstream preventive education.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Shanmugam highlighted the Drug Victims Remembrance Day introduced in 2024, which is observed every third Friday of May, to remember the people who have been victimised by drugs.<\/p>\n
On rehabilitation, he said the approach differs for drug traffickers and drug abusers. While Singapore is tough on the former, drug abusers who have not committed any other criminal offence will receive treatment and rehabilitation without a criminal record.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe invest very heavily in our rehabilitation programmes, to help them break the cycle of addiction, and to give them a helping hand to move on with life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Even with the attitudes towards drugs becoming more tolerant globally, it is a different picture in Singapore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Support among youth respondents has increased since the last survey in 2023.<\/p>\n
“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 \u201cextremely heartening\u201d.<\/p>\n
“And we have actually increased our support from the population, including our young people.”<\/p>\n
When governments are tolerant or not so effective in dealing with drugs, criminal gangs make their move, Mr Shanmugam said in his speech.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In Uruguay, for instance, gangs have become brazen, even attacking the house of the anti-narcotics prosecutor with guns.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In North America, marijuana is legalised, which Mr Shanmugam said has resulted in very significant public health consequences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Criminal gangs have taken root … They are now corrupting officials, and recruiting young persons to carry drugs, traffic drugs and to assassinate others.”<\/p>\n
Drugs also impose large socio-economic costs on the entire society, he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n