"Changes to drugs law based on evidence, not softening of stance: Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam rejected the notion that Singapore is softening its stance on drugs as Parliament passed amendments on Tuesday (Jan 15) to the Misuse of Drugs Act, some of which will bolster the country's drug rehabilitation regime.
One of the changes to the Act would allow recalcitrant drug abusers - who have been caught three times or more, but do not face other criminal charges - to be sent for rehabilitation instead of being put in jail.
Under the previous long-term imprisonment regime, these offenders faced at least five years in jail and three strokes of the cane.
"There is a risk of these changes being characterised as we are going soft ... we will point that the approach we are taking is based on evidence. It's not about going hard or going soft," Mr Shanmugam said during his closing speech in Parliament.
"The knowledge and experience built up over the last 20 years enables us to take a risk-based approach which, as far as possible, takes into consideration an individual's risk and protective factors so that the intervention is most effective and appropriate."
During the debate, several Members of Parliament raised concerns that the move could be perceived as a softening of Singapore's stance on drugs."
Pure drug users r patients to b rehabilitated. It WILL take a lot of time, effort n money to rehabilitate a drug addict. There must b a monitoring system to document the costs n benefits of this more patient-centric approach of treating drug users. Use of technologies r fine. Just make sure they REALLY work! Helping an individual to change MUST hv the 1-to-1 interaction some how!
As for drug traffickers, there is no mercy here. If u traffic drug over the limit, u will face the death sentence! Period. No if or but!!
The question is: will long term jail help pure drug addicts to kick tje habit n be productive i individuals? If it does not, we need to find another way to tackle this more effectively.
It may involve trial-n-error with some solid basics.
As for holding parents responsible for their kids' drug use or addiction, not sure how this will work as this type if parents r obviously inadequate to be parenting their kids!
SINGAPORE: Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam rejected the notion that Singapore is softening its stance on drugs as Parliament passed amendments on Tuesday (Jan 15) to the Misuse of Drugs Act, some of which will bolster the country's drug rehabilitation regime.
One of the changes to the Act would allow recalcitrant drug abusers - who have been caught three times or more, but do not face other criminal charges - to be sent for rehabilitation instead of being put in jail.
Under the previous long-term imprisonment regime, these offenders faced at least five years in jail and three strokes of the cane.
"There is a risk of these changes being characterised as we are going soft ... we will point that the approach we are taking is based on evidence. It's not about going hard or going soft," Mr Shanmugam said during his closing speech in Parliament.
"The knowledge and experience built up over the last 20 years enables us to take a risk-based approach which, as far as possible, takes into consideration an individual's risk and protective factors so that the intervention is most effective and appropriate."
During the debate, several Members of Parliament raised concerns that the move could be perceived as a softening of Singapore's stance on drugs."
Pure drug users r patients to b rehabilitated. It WILL take a lot of time, effort n money to rehabilitate a drug addict. There must b a monitoring system to document the costs n benefits of this more patient-centric approach of treating drug users. Use of technologies r fine. Just make sure they REALLY work! Helping an individual to change MUST hv the 1-to-1 interaction some how!
As for drug traffickers, there is no mercy here. If u traffic drug over the limit, u will face the death sentence! Period. No if or but!!
The question is: will long term jail help pure drug addicts to kick tje habit n be productive i individuals? If it does not, we need to find another way to tackle this more effectively.
It may involve trial-n-error with some solid basics.
As for holding parents responsible for their kids' drug use or addiction, not sure how this will work as this type if parents r obviously inadequate to be parenting their kids!
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