SINGAPORE: Singapore is “fighting a battle” against Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam stated in Parliament on May 8 that criminals income from the pharmaceutical industry at the cost of thousands of lives.
He framed Singapore’s fight against drugs as a combat due to the “scale in terms of subjects and lost life” in this battle.
Delivering a supervisory speech on Singapore’s federal drug control legislation, Mr Shanmugam cited data from different sources such as the World Health Organization, which reported 600,000 deaths in 2019 due to drug use, and the World Drug Report ‘s quotes for the same year that 31 million “healthy” lives were lost as a result of drug usage.
” These are not simple data, but lives — father, mother, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters,” he said.
Mr Shanmugam added that he was delivering the ministerial speech because even though Singapore’s tight cocaine guidelines are effective and supported by Singaporeans, they are criticised Some organizations are assisting individuals in breaking the law and preventing the enforcement of drug trafficking sanctions with “without validity” by some organizations.
Mr. Shanmugam cited example of how various nations and cities around the world have experienced drug abuse in his speech. He added that Singapore is not isolated from the issues these nations face.
In specific, Singapore is a goal for drug smugglers because this region’s drug prices are significantly higher than those in other parts of the area.
” In this battle, we will have to decide: Do we want to get sweet, and risk ending up like the places I have spoken about before? ” he asked.
” Do we want to become a ‘narco-state’, an’infamous colored town’, or a center for medicines and crime? ”
He was referring to how Barrow-in-Furness in the United Kingdom has become known as the government’s “most renowned brown area” owing to it being plagued with drug-related issues.
In order to maintain Singapore ‘s Mr. Shanmugam reiterated that the death sentence should be upheld in the fight against it. aid in the country’s” thousands of lives” being saved and defended.
” You remove the death penalty, drug trafficking may go up substantially. Additionally, drug abusers may need money to purchase drugs, leading to more robberies, housebreakings, and other crimes.
” There may even be — information shows — more physical assaults, deaths. And surely, more people will die. “
He noted that Singapore’s” tight strategy” has saved many lives.
In the 1990s, the Central Narcotics Bureau arrested about 6,000 substance abusers per month. The amount has halved to about 3,000, even though the source of medication in the region has “exploded” and Singaporeans ‘ getting strength has increased considerably.
” This is the war that we are fighting in Singapore. And if we don’t battle it, or if we lose it, dozens in Singapore may experience. “