DRUG ABUSE (Particulars)

Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether the drug position has improved or deteriorated, and if he is able to give the House breakdown figures of persons convicted in court for drug taking as well as of persons convicted for drug trafficking for the years 1977, 1978 and 1979.

The Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I informed the House at the last Parliamentary sitting on 20th March, 1979, that the spread of heroin abuse in Singapore had been contained. Since then the situation has improved further.

The Member for Khe Bong has asked for figures of persons convicted in court for drug offences. To give a complete picture, it is necessary to include figures of drug addicts sent to Drug Rehabilitation Centres as well as drug traffickers and pushers who are detained under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. The figures for drug addicts are as follows: No.of No.of Year persons sent persons Total to DRCs convicted 1977 7,084 1,539 8,623 1978 5,776 1,704 7,480 1979 774 428 1,202 (1st quarter)

The figures for drug traffickers and pushers are as follows: No. No. Year detained convicted Total 1977 106 234 340 1978 178 89 267 1979 27 6 33 (1st quarter)

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, the penalty for drug trafficking is different from that for drug taking. Can the Minister inform this House which penalty has achieved the greater effect of reducing the drug crime rate?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Sir, first of all, drug trafficking and drug addiction are two different offences. Drug trafficking is a criminal offence in the sense that a person is trying to sell drugs to drug addicts; in other words, to make money out of human misery. Drug addiction is another matter. Although it is a crime, it is, of course, of a much lesser degree. In fact, as far as drug addiction is concerned, instead of prosecuting the drug addicts in court, we prefer to send them to drug rehabilitation centres for treatment and rehabilitation. In other words, they would not be convicted of a criminal offence, particularly the first offenders. In fact, from the figures I have mentioned, the vast majority of the drug addicts have been sent to drug rehabilitation centres for treatment and rehabilitation instead of prosecuting them in court for sentence and imprisonment. The drug addicts who were prosecuted were mainly foreigners.

Sir, I hope I have answered the Member's question.