SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE SANA VOLUNTEERS’ NITE 2004 ON SATURDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2004 AT 7.30 PM AT ORCHARD BALLROOM, ORCHARD HOTEL

Dr Loo Choon Yong, President of SANA

Distinguished Guests

Principals, Teachers and volunteers of SANA

Good evening.

         It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening to honour the work and contributions of the volunteers and supporters of the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association (SANA).

2.      Our children in Singapore are able to grow up in an environment where drugs are not commonplace.  We have succeeded so far in avoiding the situation we see in so many cities abroad, in developed countries in Europe and the US, and in countries around the region. In some cities we see a substantial proportion of their young being weakened by the easy availability of drugs, and the lack of conviction in the dangers of drug abuse.

3.      How have we avoided this? It is not good fortune that has allowed us to maintain a generally low tolerance for drugs in our society.  We have been able to achieve this only because of the unflagging efforts, year in and year out, of the whole community  -  the volunteers mobilised by SANA, government agencies like the Police, CNB, SCORE and the Prisons Department, the teachers in our schools who instill in our young the values and confidence to say no to drugs, and our parents and society, which has retained a wise intolerance to drugs.

4.      Through our hard work and collaboration over the years, we saw a record low in the number of drug abusers arrested last year (2003), a sharp decline of 47% compared to the previous year. We also saw a 20% decline in the number of new abusers arrested. 

5.      However, there are new challenges. We are seeing new trends in the type of drugs being used. Heroin used to be the primary choice of drug, but now synthetic drugs such as Ecstasy and Ketamine have gained in popularity.  72% of new abusers arrested last year took synthetic drugs.  About  three quarters of them were also young, aged below 29. The social profile of synthetic drug abusers, by race and educational level, is also somewhat different from that for the traditional drugs abused like heroin.

6.      Just looking at other countries gives us a sense of how quickly the use of synthetic drugs can grow. In the US, a survey in 2000 found that more than one in ten students in 12-grade in school had taken (MDMA) Ecstasy. 51% of them viewed Ecstasy as being easily available, compared to 40% just a year earlier. And surveys also show that almost half of all 12th graders are unaware of any dangers associated with use of Ecstasy.   

7.      We have to keep our guard up, and keep refreshing out strategies and methods to ensure that our efforts to combat drug abuse stay relevant against these changing trends.

8.      We recognise that young people today face many challenges, with competing influences and demands on their time.  Some may be caught off-guard or tempted to get involved in using drugs.  They may be lured by synthetic drugs that are marketed as the cool thing, “designer drugs” or drugs which falsely claim to be non-addictive.

9.      We have to make sure that our young have access to accurate information about drugs and develop the strength to say no.  Preventive education, or tackling the problems upstream, are as always the most effective.  SANA has a comprehensive range of drug prevention tools that out schools and community organisations can use in their efforts to inculcate positive attitudes in high-risk youths, and to help them develop self-reliance and coping skills. SANA’s PAL Programme, in particular, has been effective in helping early school leavers steer clear of drug abuse. It has achieved an average 83% success rate in re-integrating dropouts into educational or vocational programmes.

10.     Another preventive programme that is popular among school children is SANA’s Anti-Drug Abuse Badge Scheme Course.  This course has a powerful multiplier effect.  It requires each uniformed group student after taking the course to transfer the anti-drug knowledge to 10 of his or her peers before he or she is awarded the SANA Badge.

11.     SANA is privileged to have a core group of 1000 dedicated volunteers. They have over the last 32 years gone about their pursuit of  a drug-free Singapore, quietly but boldly. Seated here in front of me are two core groups of SANA volunteers, both equally important to our mission. One group, the Aftercare Officers, helps to take care of the released ex-drug abusers and ensures that they re-integrate into the community successfully and become useful citizens again.  The other group of volunteers, the Guidance Officers, focuses on prevention. They work with high-risk youths, to ensure that they do not fall prey to drug abuse.  Both groups are doing work that is challenging but immensely meaningful, both to the youth and the victims of drug abuse, and to society at large. I am sure you also find your work to be personally meaningful. 

12.     I am happy to see that many principals and teachers are here tonight and that many schools are supporting SANA’s initiatives and participating in SANA’s programmes.  I would like to commend all of you, for encouraging your students to seek out the many opportunities that they have to serve the community, both in promoting the anti-drug abuse message and in other volunteer causes. I would also like to thank  those of you  who have helped SANA in fund-raising events.  Without your time and assistance, the funds that are essential to run SANA’s programmes would not have been raised smoothly and speedily. 

13.     It is really a great pleasure for me to be here to honour the 90 or so volunteers and organisations who have shown unwavering dedication and support in our fight against drug abuse.  I hope that you will continue to contribute actively to SANA, and continue your efforts to keep Singapore a place where families can grow. I wish you all an enjoyable evening ahead.