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Tough laws and preventive education in place to keep society safe from drugs

We refer to the letters, "

We refer to the letters, " " by Mr Roger Poh, and " " by Mr Amos Loh Hong Zun (both Oct 3). The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) shares their views. Intense lobbying by parties with vested interests has brought about a certain normalisation of drug-taking in some countries. They argue that it is not harmful, despite strong scientific evidence to the contrary. Drugs are harmful, addictive and can destroy lives, families and communities. The experiences of other countries have shown that a permissive attitude exacts a high cost on society. Incidents such as the man who killed his mother and grandmother while under the influence of LSD, and another man suspected of being under the influence of cannabis when he allegedly claimed that there was a bomb on board SQ33 and assaulted a crew member, are cases in point. Singapore remains intent on building a drug-free society, not a drug-tolerant one. Our drug control strategy combines tough laws, preventive education, vigorous enforcement, international engagement and rehabilitation, to tackle both drug supply and demand. Our approach has worked well for us, and kept the drug situation in Singapore relatively under control. CNB will continue to work with our partners, and educate the public on the harms of drugs and on Singapore's drug laws. We publish advisories on our website and social media platforms, and conduct briefings for students going on overseas exchange programmes. We also provide preventive drug education toolkits for schools to engage their students on the harms of drugs. Preventive education is key to keeping our young ones safe from drugs. The community can also play a key role, and help us advocate against drug use. We urge everyone to take a clear stand and reject drugs. Deputy Director CNB (Policy and Administration) Central Narcotics Bureau