3 teenage girls arrested for abusing drugs

SINGAPORE: Three teenage girls were arrested for abusing Ice, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Thursday (Feb 8). 

The girls, a 14-year-old and two 13-year-old students, admitted to abusing drugs together on "some occasions", said CNB. 

"In the early hours of Feb 6, CNB officers visited the residence of a 14-year-old girl and arrested her therein for suspected drug abuse."

CNB added that a stained packet was recovered from a search of her room, with preliminary investigations revealing that she had "started abusing Ice when she was 13". 

Investigations also found that on the last occasion of taking Ice - about a week before her arrest - the 14-year-old girl was abusing the drug, also known as crystal methamphetamine, at home with two other friends. 

Officers proceeded to arrest the two other girls at their residences. 

"One of the 13-year-old had decided to participate in abusing Ice out of curiosity when she saw the other two girls doing so," said CNB. 

Investigations on all three girls are ongoing. 

CNB also highlighted in its news release the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) 2022 Health and Lifestyle survey, which found that the mean age of onset of drug abuse was 15.9 years of age, while 41.8 per cent of those who abused drugs started before the age of 18.

In the survey, it found that residences - one's own home or a friend's home - were the most commonly cited location for drug consumption and that "curiosity" was one of the main quoted reasons for drug abuse. 

"This case is a reminder that the fight against drugs is not one that CNB can win by itself, that parents, family members, schools, all have a part to play in this fight," said Deputy Director of Policy and Administration of CNB Sng Chern Hong. 

Mr Sng, who is also the assistant commissioner of CNB, added that it is important for parents to initiate conversations about the harm of drugs with their children. 

"Parents will have to sustain the conversation by constantly reminding their children not to be tempted or pressured by their peers into taking drugs as drug abuse can and will have devastating consequences."

According to data published on the Ministry of Social and Family Development's website, the number of youth drug abusers arrested and the proportion of first-time youth drug abusers arrested have decreased from 2018 to 2022.

The number of arrested youth drug abusers - aged 20 years and below - decreased from 305 in 2020 to 200 in 2021, and further to 119 in 2022.

The number of arrested first-time youth drug abusers - aged 20 years and below - also saw a decline from 228 in 2020 to 152 in 2021, and then to 83 in 2022.

The proportion of first-time youth drug abusers arrested has gone down from 85 per cent in 2018 to 70 per cent in 2022, according to the factsheet.

"This is likely due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting movement restriction affecting arrests," it said.

"However, a growing proportion of youths may hold more permissive views on drugs."