25 August 2001

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MR PETER CHEN, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND MINISTRY OF TRADE & INDUSTRY AT THE "TEACHERS AGAINST DRUG ABUSE IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM" SEMINAR AT THE SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE, ON SATURDAY 25 AUGUST 2001 AT 9.00 AM

I am very pleased to be here with you at the seminar, "Teachers Against Drug Abuse in the New Millennium", organised by the National Council Against Drug Abuse.

2 Drug abuse is an international peril, as new and more sophisticated drugs are constantly appearing on the market. To counter the drug problem, and to complement existing enforcement activities and anti-drug legislation, preventive drug education was introduced on a national scale in 1994. Since then, the number of first-time drug abusers has been halved, from a high of 1,341 in 1994 to 672 last year. This is a clear indication of the relevance of preventive education in the war against drugs.

3 Despite the success achieved so far, we should guard against complacency. The potential damage that drugs can cause to our society, and in particular our youth, is far greater than we can ever imagine. We are living in an age driven by technology. The affordability and widespread use of personal computers has opened up the Internet, with all its wonderful possibilities. However, some of the information found on the Internet may promote drug abuse. Given the increasing amount of computer and Internet usage among the young, they may be influenced to experiment with drugs.

4 In 1999, the National Council Against Drug Abuse recognised the important role that teachers can play in preventing drug abuse among students. As a result, the Council organised the first seminar on preventive drug education for teachers that year. The objective was to enable teachers to develop a greater awareness of drug issues and how to handle students tending towards "high-risk" behaviour. From the feedback received, more than 95 percent of the participants found the seminar useful for their work. Due to the overwhelming response and the need to keep teachers informed of new and relevant drug issues, the Council has organised another seminar this year.

5 Improvements have been made to this year's seminar to make it more enriching for participants. The objective, however, remains the same. As students spend more time in school, teachers need to increase their awareness and understanding of the drug situation so that they can help to prevent their students from falling prey to the drug menace. This seminar therefore aims to equip you with the information and knowledge of the preventive measures to take should the need arise. At the same time, this is an excellent opportunity for you to increase your knowledge of drug trends and issues, all of which are vital in the war against drugs.

6 Achieving a drug-free society is only possible with the involvement of the entire community. I am therefore very heartened to see that notwithstanding your busy schedules, many of you have taken the time and effort to attend this seminar. It shows the commitment and unity of purpose we share in wanting to help students, who have strayed, to get back onto the right path.

7 In the course of your duties as teachers, you will inevitably have to deal with students who are prone to "high-risk" behaviour. These students are unique individuals with particular needs and problems, coping with specific circumstances. Understanding the reasons for some of their actions and behaviour is crucial to helping them, as only then can you devise suitable approaches to help them. The plenary presentations and workshop sessions in today's seminar are geared towards helping you achieve a better understanding of "high-risk" students and some suggested methods for dealing with them. As experienced teachers you yourselves will have in your repertoire numerous and varied strategies to reach out and help such students. Today this repertoire will surely be enhanced as you hear the various speakers and experts speak from their experiences and expertise.

8 I am told that resource people from the relevant agencies are also present here today. This is an ideal occasion for you to tap their expertise, and also engage in healthy debate and discussion on how to prevent "high-risk" students from taking drugs. I therefore urge everyone of you to actively participate in the workshop. Please use this seminar also as a platform to share your experiences and approaches with your colleagues and other participants, and to offer perspectives and ideas that you feel will benefit school-based preventive drug education in Singapore. At the same time, do take this opportunity to renew past acquaintances and forge new ones.

9 On this note, I would like to reiterate the Ministry of Education's commitment to collaborating with the relevant agencies to prevent the drug problem from surfacing in schools. I wish you all a fruitful and enjoyable seminar.