Two 13-year-olds among three girls arrested for drug abuse

SINGAPORE – Three teenage girls were arrested for abusing Ice after they admitted to consuming drugs together on some occasions, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Feb 8. One of them is aged 14 and the other two are aged 13.

On Feb 6, officers arrested the 14-year-old girl for suspected drug abuse at her home, where they found a stained packet after a search of her room.

After that, the officers arrested the girl’s two friends at their homes. Equipment for using drugs were also seized from the home of one of the 13-year-olds.

Preliminary investigations showed that the 14-year-old started abusing methamphetamine, commonly known as Ice, a year ago. She last consumed the drug about a week before her arrest, at her home with the two friends, CNB said.

One of the 13-year-old girls began using the drug out of curiosity after watching her friends doing so.

CNB said that the details of this case echo some key findings from the Institute of Mental Health’s 2022 Health and Lifestyle survey: The average age of a person starting drug abuse was 15.9 years, and 41.8 per cent of those who abused drugs started before the age of 18.

Furthermore, a drug user’s own home or a friend’s home were the most commonly cited locations for drug consumption, and curiosity was one of the more common reasons for drug abuse.

Deputy director of CNB (policy and administration) Sng Chern Hong said: “This case is a reminder that the fight against drugs is not one that CNB can win by itself, that parents, family members, schools, all have a part to play in this fight. It is important that parents initiate conversations with their children about the harms of drugs so as to build up their resilience against drugs.”

Sng also urged parents to constantly remind their children not to be tempted or pressured by their friends into consuming drugs, as drug abuse can have lasting consequences.

Investigations on all the three girls are ongoing.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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