SINGAPORE \u2013 For years, Cornelyus Tan had an impressive career in marketing while secretly relying on methamphetamine.<\/p>\n
His double life ended in 2022 when he was arrested and sent to detention at Changi Prison\u2019s Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) for six months.<\/p>\n
There, he met teachers, lawyers, bankers and other white-collar professionals who, like him, had used drugs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn paper, we look well. We are all very successful. But at the core of it, we had a common problem \u2013 the heart,\u201d said Tan, 37, as he shared his story publicly for the first time <\/b>in a July interview with The Straits Times.<\/p>\n
A growing number of well-educated people in Singapore\u2019s population like Tan are getting involved in drugs. In 2025, 293 inmates in DRC had tertiary education or higher qualifications, compared with 204 in 2021, according to Singapore Prison Service (SPS) statistics. They accounted for about one in 10 newly admitted inmates in 2025, up from 8.8 per cent in 2021. Their qualifications ranged from polytechnic diplomas to doctorates.<\/p>\n
This trend is expected as Singapore\u2019s population has become more educated, a Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) spokesperson told ST. Over the past decade, the share of residents aged 25 and above with at least tertiary education grew from 42.9 per cent to 54.5 per cent. But CNB noted that those with tertiary qualifications remain underrepresented among the DRC inmate population.<\/p>\n
Still, cases involving highly educated professionals can provoke surprise \u2013 as did the recent conviction of a medical doctor for drug <\/span><\/a>use.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Education and income may seem like natural buffers against substance abuse, but counsellors who work with drug offenders say addiction cuts across all backgrounds.<\/p>\n There is a growing recognition that drug use is not confined to people who are poorly educated, unemployed or socially disadvantaged, said Gopal Mahey, a senior counsellor at the Centre for Psychotherapy.<\/p>\n Reasons for this trend include the expansion of the global drug market and increasing availability of synthetic drugs, he said.<\/p>\n Technology has also made drugs more accessible to people from all backgrounds, said We Care Community Services\u2019 executive director Tham Yuen Han.<\/p>\n In the past, abusers typically got their hands on illicit drugs via personal connections \u2013 family members or friends with a history of addiction, or peddlers in their neighbourhood, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cNow with technology, you don\u2019t need those connections, because sometimes it just comes to you on social media,\u201d she said, citing Telegram channels that peddle drugs.<\/p>\n Other factors behind this group\u2019s drug use include peer influence, social media and\u00a0entertainers who seek to glamorise drug use or downplay its harmful effects, as well as\u00a0exposure to\u00a0more liberal drug cultures overseas, said the CNB spokesperson.<\/p>\n For some educated professionals who use drugs, the substances can initially feel less like a problem than a solution. Drugs made them more productive, helped them cope with stress or connect with others.<\/p>\n Tan was first introduced to meth at a house party in 2014, when he was 25 and an aspiring fashion photographer and arts college undergraduate.<\/p>\n Meth, also known as Ice, is one of the most commonly abused drugs among drug abusers with tertiary education arrested in 2025, along with cannabis, Ecstasy and heroin, said the CNB spokesperson.<\/p>\n The crystals gave Tan a \u201cSuperman effect\u201d, an adrenaline rush leaving him constantly efficient and happy.<\/p>\n \u201cI was able to think creatively. There were many good comments about my work,\u201d said Tan. \u201cEverything that I found (was like) \u2018Wow, it\u2019s an inspiration\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2015, a news outlet profiled him as a promising young photographer.<\/p>\n He eventually quit meth for a few years after noticing its physical effects, including weight loss and excessive perspiration. But in 2020, he relapsed under immense stress as a regional marketing manager in an e-commerce firm. \u201cThe voice (in my mind) came back. \u2018Why not use (drugs)? You know how it might help you\u2019,\u201d said Tan.<\/p>\n Experts like Samuel Chua, principal counsellor of the Institute of Mental Health\u2019s National Addictions Management Service, said well-educated professionals are no different from other drug addicts in their desire to escape pain and distress.<\/p>\n It may even be harder for them to admit to drug abuse. We Care\u2019s Tham said they may believe they can control their drug use, as they are confident in their capabilities.<\/p>\n Tan had a formula to appear functional. When his moods crashed after the \u201chigh\u201d wore off, he would stop using meth for a few weeks.<\/p>\n A former junior college teacher, John (not his real name), similarly hid his addiction for about half a year while continuing to teach. He had been introduced to meth at a gathering in 2015.<\/p>\n \u201cI was just trying to connect with some people around me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Eleven years, several relapses and a three-month DRC stint later, John is still on the road to recovery.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: CHRISTINE TAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n He started missing classes when the drugs and the abusive relationship he was in took a toll on him. When his reporting officer noticed, he came up with excuses.<\/p>\n The school later asked him to take no-pay leave for poor performance. He then entered a rehabilitation centre in Chiangmai, Thailand. Eleven years, several relapses and a three-month DRC stint later, John is still on the road to recovery. He has recently been charged with drug offences and may face jail time.<\/p>\n Cracks began to show in Tan\u2019s life when his employer fired him in June 2022 for severely underperforming. The loss of his dream job drove him to overdose on meth. He collapsed at home and was taken to hospital, where he slipped into a coma.<\/p>\n Miraculously, he recovered. But he continued abusing meth. It was only when CNB officers raided his home in September 2022 that he finally confronted reality.<\/p>\n He remembered thinking: \u201cMy future is gone, my life is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n For some professionals who have built their identity around achievement, being incarcerated may cause a particularly severe collapse of identity, said Mahey.<\/p>\n Rehabilitation at the DRC is not differentiated based on a person\u2019s educational qualifications or profession, but on their risk of re-offending, rehabilitation needs and severity of drug use, said an SPS spokesperson.<\/p>\n Those with higher re-offending risks undergo more intensive psychology-based correctional programmes, said the spokesperson.<\/p>\n For some professionals who have built their identity around achievement, being incarcerated may cause a particularly severe collapse of identity, said Gopal Mahey, a senior counsellor at the Centre for Psychotherapy.<\/p>\n PHOTO: COURTESY OF GOPAL MAHEY<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Counsellors said recovery starts when addicts understand the core issues behind their usage.<\/p>\n For Tan, this meant looking back at a difficult childhood with an abusive mother. He grew up feeling unsafe and came to see success as a route to security, he said. And for John, the deeper problem was loneliness. He struggled in social situations and longed for connection, which often led him to slip back into taking drugs.<\/p>\n Said Tan: \u201cWhile (we) may come from different occupations, we all struggle with the same problems… the loneliness, the stress, the brokenness.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes (when) you became successful, you just want more. And sometimes you deal with the heart issues in the wrong way.\u201d<\/p>\n Rebuilding a career can be another obstacle for this group, said counsellors.<\/p>\n We Care\u2019s Tham said reintegration may be harder for them as some cannot return to their previous professions. Underemployment can also affect their self-worth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not very good for their sense of self-esteem, because it reinforces the idea that after incarceration, you\u2019re only good enough for certain types of jobs,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Tham Yuen Han, clinical director at WE CARE Community Services, said reintegration may be harder for them as some cannot return to their previous professions. Underemployment can also affect their self-worth.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Anderson Neo, head of aftercare at the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, said such clients may face additional challenges finding roles that match their qualifications or career aspirations. Its aftercare case managers work with clients on job searches or refer them to agencies like Yellow Ribbon SG (YRSG) for employment support.<\/p>\n The SPS spokesperson said YRSG helps former offenders in reintegration, supports DRC inmates in securing employment aligned with their capabilities, including in professional, managerial, executive and technical roles. Before their release, YRSG prepares them by equipping them with career planning and workplace readiness skills. They also prepare resumes, apply for jobs and attend career talks.<\/p>\n YRSG\u2019s career coaches also support former offenders in their transition back into the workplace for up to 12 months after their release, added the spokesperson.<\/p>\n Teaching is still John\u2019s passion. He has been working as a private tutor without disclosing his history, as his first DRC stint does not carry a criminal record. A prison term could close more doors. But it has strengthened his resolve to quit drugs for good.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want there to be another situation where I found something I enjoy, but have to give up again,\u201d said John quietly. He is undergoing counselling at the Centre for Psychotherapy.<\/p>\n Tan is now manager of strategic communications at HCSA Community Services, a charity helping former offenders, single-parent families and abused teenage girls, among other groups.<\/p>\n He was upfront about his prior drug use, and his employers took a chance on him, said Tan.<\/p>\n Today, he tells stories of vulnerable communities, and volunteers with former offenders in the charity\u2019s halfway house, HCSA Highpoint.<\/p>\n It feels like a role in which two parts of his life that seemed impossible to reconcile \u2013 his personal history and creative skills \u2013 have finally come together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n SINGAPORE \u2013 For years, Cornelyus Tan had an impressive career in marketing while secretly relying on methamphetamine. His double life ended in 2022 when he…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/75756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The \u201cSuperman\u201d effect<\/h2>\n
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When identities collapse<\/h2>\n
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Closed doors and second chances<\/h2>\n
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