News
13-year-old S'pore drug abuser arrested by CNB in 2024, number of new drug abusers below age of 20 increased by 30%
966 new drug abusers were arrested in 2024, a one per cent increase from the previous year.
The youngest drug abuser arrested in Singapore in 2024 was just 13 years old, according to a report by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).
In a Feb. 12 press release on the latest Singapore Drug Situation Report, CNB revealed that in 2024 more than half of new drug abusers arrested were below the age of 30.
This is the second year in a row that the worrying statistic has been recorded.
In addition, the number of arrests for new drug abusers below the age of 20 increased by 30 per cent.
Image from CNB
"While Singapore's drug situation generally remains under control, worrying trends in youth drug abuse persist, particularly the early onset of drug abuse," said Leon Chan, CNB's acting director.
In February 2024, Mothership that reported three girls — two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old — were arrested after taking crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice.
Drug abuse statistics
In total, 966 new drug abusers were arrested in 2024, a one per cent increase from the previous year.
The total number of drug abusers arrested was 3,119.
Image via CNB.
Methamphetamine was the most commonly abused drug, followed by heroin and cannabis; among new abusers, methamphetamine, cannabis and ecstasy were the most commonly abused drugs.
The Singapore Drug Situation Report 2024 also disclosed details on the demographics of drug abusers arrested in 2024.
85 per cent of abusers were male; 15 per cent, according to CNB, but the total number of female drug abusers arrested in 2024 rose from 457 to 476.
Image from CNB
Image from CNB
In 2024, the number of Chinese and Malay drug abusers arrested increased, while the number of Indian drug abusers arrested decreased.
The proportion of drug abusers by ethnic group remained similar to that of 2023, CNB said.
Image from CNB
Image from CNB
"The harms of drugs are far-reaching," said Chan in CNB's press release.
"Beyond the damage done to a drug abuser’s health and well-being, the families and loved ones of drug abusers are often the ones suffering silently and invisibly as they shoulder the emotional, financial and sometimes even physical fallout of their loved one’s drug addiction."
According to CNB's report, the agency dismantled 25 drug syndicates and arrested numerous traffickers in 2024.
This included drug syndicates operating on Telegram to target young people, and others operating in foreign countries to supply drugs into Singapore.
These operations led to substantial drug seizures with a street value of more than S$13 million.
"As we continue to uphold our tough enforcement stance and collaborate with our DrugFreeSG advocates and partners on preventive drug education programmes, we call on the public to take a strong stand against drugs," said Chan.
Top image from Nastya Dulhiier via Unsplash
