New psychoactive substances ‘not a big issue’ yet, but still a major concern: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE: New psychoactive substances are not a big issue in Singapore yet, but could become one if not dealt with, said Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam on Thursday (May 16). 

Speaking during a radio segment on CNA938 on Thursday evening, the minister said: “It’s a major concern in that we are seeing this coming. 

“It’s not yet a big issue within Singapore, but if we don’t deal with it it can become a big issue.” 

New psychoactive substances produce effects similar to those produced by controlled drugs like cocaine, heroin and cannabis.

Between 2014 and 2017, 11 people were arrested for using new psychoactive substances. This increased to 235 people per year between 2018 and 2022, said Mr Shanmugam. 

“If we don’t do anything, it will jump very high,” he continued, adding that the government is looking at how to raise awareness about new psychoactive substances. 

In March 2023, parliament passed amendments to Singapore’s drug laws to combat new psychoactive substances more effectively. Such substances are now illegal based on their capacity to produce psychoactive effects, rather than their molecular structures.

Drug suppliers have been known to alter the molecular structures of new psychoactive substances according to what is not yet controlled under the law without changing the drugs’ effects, said Mr Shanmugam on Thursday. 

“We now have to change the law to say it doesn’t matter what the precise chemical compound is. If the consequences are this, then it still comes within the legislation,” he added.

The Home Affairs and Law Minister also said that people are starting to abuse drugs at a younger age. A reason for this, he said, is subtle messaging in popular culture consumed by young people that “glamourises” drug use. 

Research has shown that cannabis has “a big impact” on brain structure, and many other drugs have “even more deleterious consequences”, said Mr Shanmugam. 

“But that’s not sold. That’s not said to you. There is a big PR industry financed by the drug companies themselves, which want to get into this trade.

“And we are exposed to all of this. So you can imagine our young people asking themselves: ‘Hey, what’s wrong with it?’” 

More than half of the new drug abusers who were arrested in 2023 were below the age of 30, said the minister, with some as young as 14 years old. 

On the positive side of things, Singapore has kept the problem under control and reduced the number of people abusing drugs, said Mr Shanmugam. 

“But is (the glass) half empty? It is also true because the problem is there and people are starting younger,” he said, adding that messaging about drugs has to reach different segments of young people. 

During the segment, Mr Shanmugam also responded to questions and comments from the public. 

One member of the public called for a strong culture against drugs, and suggested that the government introduce an app for the public to report drug violations. 

Introducing an app is something the Home Affairs Ministry could consider further, said Mr Shanmugam, adding that students in school are also educated about the harms of drugs. 

Asking the minister for his thoughts, another comment read: “There are still many drug cases in Singapore and the figure seems to be going up. This shows the death penalty is not stopping drugs from coming into Singapore.” 

Singapore’s tough stance on drug trafficking doesn’t mean that traffickers don’t try to bring drugs into the country, which is why people have to be vigilant, said Mr Shanmugam. 

“Low crime doesn’t mean no crime,” he added. 

Singapore used to make about 6,000 arrests for drug abuse in a year in the 1990s, he said, adding that “all things being equal”, Singapore should be making about 12,000 to 18,000 arrests now. 

“But we are arresting 3,000. And it’s not because our law enforcement has become weaker. It’s just that, on the whole, we have managed to actually beat back against this drug menace,” he continued. 

“But it’s still a problem,” he said, though “it’s nowhere near as serious a problem as (it is in) many other places in the world” and it is a problem that Singapore is “tackling better now” than in the past.