Inter-ministry committee set up to help parents, schools tackle youth drug abuse

SINGAPORE — Mr Gurushankar Sangarathas knows that children are exposed to content espousing the medical benefits of cannabis, so he watches movies with his 14-year-old daughter to build rapport with her and follows her on social media to ensure that she keeps good company.

"We as parents have to set guidelines and rules at home," the 43-year-old senior safety manager said, and he is keen to ensure that young people such as his daughter understand the harm that drugs can do.

With rising evidence of drug use by the young, the Government is setting up an inter-ministry committee to look into how it can work with parents, schools, the community and other stakeholders to prevent the abuse of drugs among youth.

The formation of the committee was announced by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Tuesday (May 2), on the sidelines of his visit to Pertapis Halfway House in Geylang.

The move follows the publication of a survey of more than 6,000 Singapore residents by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) showing that that the mean age that people started consuming drugs is 15.9 years old.

The survey, which was published on Wednesday, showed that drugs were consumed at home for some 30 per cent of respondents who had taken drugs in the past year.

Mr Shanmugam was at Tuesday's event to launch the new Prestige programme, which provides residents of the halfway house, who are ex-offenders, with job training in areas such as printing and logistics to better prepare them to find and keep jobs in society. 

Speaking to reporters after the visit, he said that results of the IMH survey were "quite worrying".

"The survey showed that homes were the most common location for drug abuse, and the average age for starting drug abuse was actually 16. So, you see, this is quite worrying." 

To address this, the Government is bringing together various ministries to "take a broader look from different aspects of drug prevention for young people", he said.

Mr Shanmugam said that the committee aims to "drive (the message) home further" with young people that drugs are a serious problem. 

"That is why we need to work with the parents, with the community, with the schools, (in) National Service — in a variety of different ways. And send the message, give them alternatives, give them opportunities to think about it, think carefully, and try to keep them out of trouble." 

The committee, to be chaired by Mr Shanmugam, will comprise representatives from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, People’s Association, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Communications and Information, and the Ministry of Health.

There will be a total of seven senior ministers of state, ministers of state and senior parliamentary secretaries from the various ministries.

The committee will start its work in the third quarter of this year.

WHAT PARENTS SAY

Ms Jackie Yu, a 50-year-old communication specialist, also called the findings of the IMH survey worrying.

Ms Yu, whose son is 16 years old, said that the important question for parents is how children get exposed to drugs and what drives them to try drugs.

“Is it the school influence, the internet? Do they get contacted on Instagram? I guess with more information, it will be more assuring to know what the Government and parents can do better.”

On the survey numbers showing that three out of 10 of respondents who had taken drugs in the past year did so at home, Ms Yu said that it did not matter where a child takes drugs.

“The fact that they can get drugs easily is something that needs to be worried about,” she added.

On how the Government could partner with parents, Mr Gurushankar proposed organising school excursions to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre or holding talks with reformed drug abuses to highlight the consequences of taking drugs in Singapore.

The Government could also set up a hotline for parents to call if they suspect their children of experimenting with drugs and need advice or help from counsellors, he said.

Ms Yu said that the Government may also deter young people from trying drugs by sending out the message that there are health risks in consuming them.