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Drivers and travellers, take note.

You may soon be required to provide a saliva sample for drug testing purposes, at checkpoints and roadblocks.

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has started using compact saliva test kits to detect drug abusers, shared Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in parliament on Feb. 27.

These kits have been deployed at checkpoints from January 2023, Faishal said.

He was speaking during MHA's Committee of Supply (COS) debates, and responding to a question on how Singapore was enhancing enforcement of drug laws.

Faishal said CNB and the police have started trials for joint roadblock operations using the saliva test kits.

Why saliva testing?

Besides checkpoints, the saliva test kits have been deployed during CNB's enforcement operations, said MHA.

Saliva testing is "quick, portable and non-invasive" and can produce results in an average time of 10 minutes, MHA added.

MHA described the saliva test kit as an "on-site preliminary screening tool" that would help its officers make an operational assessment of potential drug abuse.

Those whose saliva test kits turn out positive will go through further investigations, MHA said, adding that "this additional testing method will complement and enhance CNB's current drug detection capabilities."

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Top image by Mothership and via MHA