BY DAWN TAY

THE number of new drug abusers is on the rise, fuelled by younger Singaporeans aged 20 to 39 with a penchant for party drug methamphetamine, and heroin.

Annual Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) figures released yesterday show that around 544 new drug abusers were arrested last year - an approximately 7 per cent increase from the previous year.

Of these, around 72 per cent were aged 20 to 39.

In 2008, around 68 per cent of the 508 new drug abusers arrested were within this age group.

When asked about the reasons for the increase of new abusers within this age group, the CNB declined to comment.

However, the bureau said that its enforcement efforts have kept the drug-abuse situation here under control.

Last year, the total number of arrests - 1,876 - dipped by 3 per cent from 2008.

Among the younger set of new abusers, methamphetamine - better known as 'ice' or 'yaba' - was the drug of choice, with 38 per cent of new abusers arrested on the substance.

This was followed by heroin, at 24 per cent.

Methamphetamine's popularity with the younger crowd stems from the drug being a stimulant which young people take to help them party harder, unlike the sedative effect of heroin, said a CNB spokesman.

However, heroin remained the most commonly abused drug here.

Almost three in five of all drug abusers arrested last year were found to have used it.

The number of heroin abusers caught rose for the fourth year running, from its all-time low of 62 in 2005.

Last year, 1,079 were arrested for using heroin, a 22 per cent increase from 2008.

However, CNB deputy director Ng Ser Song was not unduly concerned over the rise.

He gave this reason: Former Subutex users were expected to return to shooting heroin after Subutex, originally introduced to wean them off their addiction, was banned in 2006 after rampant abuse.

Indeed, last year showed a 65 per cent drop in the number of Subutex abusers arrested compared to that in the previous year, with abusers making up only 7 per cent of drug users here.

The other reason behind the increase in arrests of heroin abusers here is Singapore's proximity to the Golden Triangle - a heroin-production region spanning Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand, said Mr Ng.

More heroin is being produced in that area, he said.

However, heroin-abuse numbers remain markedly lower than those of 1994, when almost 6,000 heroin abusers were caught here.

When it comes to inhalant abuse, the situation here has been contained, said the CNB.

Last year, 609 arrests were made for inhalant abuse, only a 1 per cent increase from 2008.

Next >>