SINGAPORE — At first, the 15-year-old took methamphetamine once every two weeks after being introduced to it by friends outside of school. The teen then took it weekly, and later, daily. The Secondary 3 student, whose studies suffered, became lethargic, felt like a zombie and lost weight. The youth's familial relationships were also strained.
There have been more cases of youth engaging in drug trafficking and abuse, and they are getting younger.SINGAPORE — At first, the 15-year-old took methamphetamine once every two weeks after being introduced to it by friends outside of school.
She said the teen has broken off ties with bad company, and has very clear goals — to focus on education and pursue a career in hospitality.She said: "These drugs will affect their day-to-day functioning. And as they are at an age where their brain is developing, drugs can have a long-term effect on them.
A CNB spokesman said the youngest person arrested for drug consumption between 2019 and 2023 was an 11-year-old Singaporean in 2020.Gwen Ho, a caseworker with the Youth Enhanced Supervision scheme, where low-risk youth offenders are placed under the care of social service agencies, said some youth below the age of 16 take drugs out of curiosity.
Ho said the girl’s parents learnt to talk to her, not just focusing on her drug use but on her overall well-being.A study by the Institute of Mental Health in 2023 found that four in 10 drug abusers in Singapore started abusing drugs before they were 18 years old. Teo added that she has cases where youth tell her they do in-depth research on drugs, giving them the misconception that the drugs are not harmful.
This has led to more young people trying drugs due to curiosity, peer influence, and underestimating the dangers of drug addiction until it is too late.
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