DRUG ABUSE AMONG NATIONAL SERVICEMEN (Measures to eliminate)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister of Defence what progress has been made on efforts to prevent drug abuse among National Servicemen, and what are the measures taken to eliminate this menace.

The Minister of State of Defence (Dr Yeo Ning Hong) (for the Minister of Defence): Mr Speaker, Sir, in the mid-1970s, drug abuse became a serious problem in Singapore and in the Singapore Armed Forces. At the end of 1976, there were about 2,000 drug abusers among those in the national service. A Special Committee was set up to tackle this problem. Mindef decided to adopt some tough policies and measures which are still enforced today.

The implementation of these policies and measures have resulted in a rapid and dramatic decline in drug abuse incidents in the military forces.

631 servicemen were arrested for drug abuse in 1977. The following year, follow- ing the measures that I have mentioned earlier, there were only 342 cases; in 1979, 174 cases and in 1980, 168. For 1981, the figure has been further reduced to 132. Thus, in five years from 1977 to 1981, the SAF has succeeded in containing the menace of drug abuse. The number arrested in 1981 was about one-fifth of that for 1977, some five years ago.

The relapse rate in the SAF, i.e. the percentage of SAF servicemen returning to drug abuse a second time, averages about 15%. This is lower than the national average rate of approximately 45%. This lower relapse rate is due mainly to the strict measures taken in drug abuse detection and to the severe penalties levied on those who were found guilty on the second or subsequent occasion.

Measures taken against the drug menace in the SAF are a combination of education, detection, severe penalties and rehabilitation.

Recruits are given talks on the dangers of drug abuse, soon after their enlistment. At that stage, if they admit to having taken drugs before enlistment, they will not be punished. They will be given treatment, rehabilitation and counselling, if necessary.

Recruits with previous records of drug abuse are identified promptly on enlistment. Their urine is tested every other day for the presence of drugs. This is done throughout their full national service period. It means they have no chance of taking drugs without being detected. In addition, they undergo periodic counselling by trained social workers of the SAF Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Unit.

Servicemen are also regularly given talks on the ill-effects of drug abuse. They are warned that there will be severe penalties against those who are detected. Publications on drug abuse are distributed throughout the SAF. A book entitled "Curbing Drug Abuse - The SAF Experience" was published in 1981. SAF conducts an annual three month-long anti-drug campaign, during which exhibitions and talks will be organized, and special publications and easily readable pamphlets will be distributed to press home the message of drug abuse and its evils.

The SAF carries out urine tests in the units regularly to conduct spot checks which will deter servicemen from drug abuse. Units are selected at random, and their men given no prior warning of the spot checks. Those detected as drug abusers face severe disciplinary penalties. In addition, they undergo rehabilitation and counselling, and once-every-other-day urine test regime.

The combination of education, certainty of detection, and severe penalties, have brought the drug problem in the SAF very much under control.

Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi (Kampong Kembangan): Sir, will the Hon. Minister of State inform the House the reasons why national servicemen take drugs during their national service, and what are the circumstances for drug taking? And if he could identify the reasons, what specific measures will be taken, besides the campaign that the Ministry will be undertaking, to ensure that the conditions for drug-taking will be minimized?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already replied fairly lengthily on the measures, and I think that is adequate.

No, Mr Speaker, Sir, national service is not the place where the drug addicts begin taking drugs. They usually begin before they enter national service. It is a serious problem not only in Singapore but also world-wide, where the situation is a lot worse. Members of this House will probably recall visitors from other countries coming to learn of the systems and the regimes that we operate in order to curb the problem.

Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi: Anticipating the fact that most of the drug addicts who are actually addicts before they started national service, would the Ministry consider establishing closer programmes with institutions and community groups in the constituencies to ensure that future national servicemen on entry into national service will not be drug addicts?

Dr Yeo Ning Hong: Sir, close liaison with the various counselling bodies in Singapore is already taking place.