Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim on misuse of drugs and constitution amendment bills

New psychoactive substances are proliferating at an unprecedented rate and posing a challenge for law enforcement worldwide, said MP Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 21). He noted a huge rise in the number of abusers arrested in Singapore over the past eight years, with psychoactive substances overtaking cannabis as the second-most commonly abused type of drug among new abusers in 2019. Mr Zhulkarnain said a Bill to tackle the growing threat provides a defence if the psychoactive substance is intended to be used for a legitimate purpose other than human consumption, regardless of whether the substance is fit or unfit for human consumption. He asked how the authorities plan to regulate the use or manufacture of psychoactive substances for research, teaching or other legitimate uses. He added that a person who breaches such regulations or fails to comply with certain standards cannot be allowed to avail themselves of the defence of legitimate purpose. On the presumption of possession and knowledge of psychoactive substances, he asked what safeguards are in place to protect innocent landlords or organisations running shelters from being prosecuted and what due diligence would be expected in such circumstances. Mr Zhulkarnain also pointed out the strong link between vaping and drug abuse and asked what strategies are planned to bolster enforcement and public education against vaping.