Is it okay for Singaporeans to take drugs overseas?

The short answer is: Yes, if you do not intend to return to Singapore.

According to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), any citizen or permanent resident found to have used controlled drugs overseas will be treated as if he or she had abused drugs in Singapore, an advisory on Friday, Oct. 26 said.

How will the CNB know who took drugs?

It was previously reported that random checks are carried out at various checkpoints in Singapore.

These are enforcement checks on Singaporeans and PRs who return from overseas.

Action will be taken against those found to have consumed drugs overseas, the latest advisory said, correcting the misconception some Singaporeans have that Singaporeans are free to do as they please when out of the country.

Why this news now?

Canada has become the second country in the world to legalise recreational marijuana, after Uruguay in 2013.

Thailand has embarked on legalising medical marijuana, while Malaysia has begun informal talks and is looking at amending laws to legalise cannabis for medical use.

The access to cannabis or weed, in particular, is seen to have become easier over the years.

What is Singapore's stance?

In its advisory on Friday, CNB said there is “scant evidence of the safety and efficacy of long-term cannabis use”.

The bureau said a literature review done by the Institute of Mental Health affirmed the addictive and harmful nature of cannabis, and that it damages the brain.

“These findings corroborate our position that cannabis should remain an illicit drug,” it said.

This has long been Singapore's position.

Last year, the number of drug abusers arrested comprised less than 0.1 per cent of the total population.

How many users get caught in Singapore for doing drugs overseas?

The number of drug users arrested at checkpoints has increased over the years.

These Singaporeans and permanent residents get tested positive for drug consumption during random checks at entry points, including Changi Airport and Woodlands Checkpoint.

There were 81 cases in 2016, nearly double the 49 cases in 2012.

In 2013, there were 47 cases.

Many of those caught are youths who tested positive after returning from trips to places such as Bali, Thailand and Europe.

They can be undergraduates or young working professionals.

A CNB spokesman said in 2017: "Some Singaporeans think they can evade detection and prosecution by going overseas to consume drugs. They are mistaken."

Harmful effects

In May 2017, a Singaporean undergraduate died after falling from a hotel room in Bali, having reportedly consumed "magic mushrooms".

He had allegedly mixed orange juice with psilocybin mushrooms, which can cause hallucinogenic effects, before expressing an urge to jump from the fifth-floor room, reported Indonesian media.

When was this law implemented?

In July 1997, the Misuse of Drug Act was amended so that Singaporeans and permanent residents who are caught taking drugs overseas, which can be proven when their urine samples test positive for drug consumption, will be dealt with as though the offence had been committed in Singapore.

Penalty

Possession or consumption of cannabis here can lead to jail terms of up to 10 years and a fine of up to S$20,000.

Those who traffic, import or export certain quantities of cannabis may face the death sentence.

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Top photo via Immigration & Checkpoints Authority