Drug Victims Remembrance Day Observance Ceremony 2026 – Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Law & Second Minister for Home Affairs

My Parliamentary colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1. A very good afternoon to all of you.


Introduction

2. Today, we commemorate Drug Victims Remembrance Day. We are joined today by community partners, anti-drug advocates, friends from the region, and importantly, individuals and families who have been personally harmed by drugs.

3. I thank you all for being here.

4. This is the third year that Singapore is commemorating Drug Victims Remembrance Day.

5. When we launched this in 2024, the objective was clear: to give a voice to the unseen victims of drugs.

6. This year, we continue to emphasise the very important key message: drugs harm more people than you might think.

7. The theme of our exhibition is, "Stories, Unfinished".

8. These are not stories with nice and neat endings. These are stories about broken lives, broken futures, broken relationships.

9. The exhibition brings to light the many lives harmed by drug abuse. And these are the lives of people who never chose to be involved in drugs but have suffered nevertheless – the loved ones and the friends and families of drug abusers.

10. A few local activists, however, would hold candlelight vigils every now and then for the drug traffickers on death row. They print stories of the traffickers, put a face to them and tell their sob stories. But they conveniently gloss over or even leave out entirely the other side of the story – the harm and the hurt which the drug traffickers whom they champion, have caused to victims, their families, and the society.


Victims of Drugs

11. When we talk about drugs, we must always remember the victims.

12. Countless lives are destroyed due to drug addiction. Many children grow up without a parent because of drugs. Innocent people are harmed by drug-fuelled violence and crime.

13. Families suffer from the abusers’ drug-induced violence, the consequential fear in their lives being around the abuser, and the grief when they see what their spouse or children have turned into. Their stories must also be told.

14. If the activists want to hold up photographs of the traffickers, then they should have enough integrity to also hold up the photographs of the countless victims.

15. But we know the activists will not do that.

16. And that is why we started Drug Victims Remembrance Day: to remind everyone that drug trafficking and abuse are not victimless crimes. The abuser suffers, and so does their family. And society too, pays a heavy price when drugs spread in the community.


International and Regional Situation

17. The global drug situation is worsening.

18. At the Community Resilience Against Drug Abuse Roundtable in March, we shared that the World Drug Report 2025 reported that the number of drug abusers worldwide had increased significantly, from about 292 million in 2022, to 316 million in 2023, and that is an increase of 8% in just a year.

19. A 2019 New York Times article on the Minford High School Class of 2000 in Ohio in the US, showed us what this means in very human terms. It told the story of a school cohort devastated by opioids. Young people with dreams, with talents, and with possibilities – the sky is the limit – whose futures were taken away from them. Some died. Some went to prison. Some struggled for years with addiction. Many others had friends and family who died from opioid overdose and struggled with drug addiction.

20. The article showed how drugs can destroy an entire generation.

21. We have also seen jurisdictions experiment with decriminalisation, and then the reverse course that they have to take when the reality hits them.

22. In 2020, the US state of Oregon decriminalised possession of small amounts of drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin. The premise that they took was that law enforcement could then focus on other work, and abusers would feel less stigmatised and be prepared to come forward to seek treatment. But the results proved otherwise. Public drug use became even more prevalent. People felt unsafe on the streets, and overdose deaths rose sharply.

23. In 2024, a few years later, Oregon reversed course and recriminalised possession of even small amounts of drugs.

24. What is the key takeaway? Well for us, it is that when society sends the signal that drug use is OK, people will become more liberal and the consequences can be more devastating.

25. Regionally, the situation is also very serious. The Golden Triangle remains a major source of synthetic drugs. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported in 2025 that methamphetamine seizures in East and Southeast Asia reached a record 236 tonnes in 2024. This is a 24% increase from the preceding year, 2023.


Cost of Drug Abuse

26. In Singapore, our drug situation fortunately remains stable. But there are some concerning trends.

27. While the number of drug abusers has remained stable, the number of young abusers has increased. In the last three years, more than half of the new abusers arrested were below 30 years old. And the number of new abusers below 20 increased by 22% between 2024 and 2025. One year.

28. Last year, we shared that the youngest abuser ever arrested was 13. This year, the youngest abuser arrested was 12. Each year, we are seeing increasingly younger and younger abusers.

29. Cannabis remains a concern in Singapore. Seven in 10 cannabis abusers arrested in 2025 were new abusers. Seven in 10. And of these, 63% were below 30 years old.

30. This is a generation of young people who are being told, online and through popular culture, that cannabis is harmless; that it is a lifestyle choice; and that it is no big deal. These are all outright lies.

31. And then there is the most tragic statistic of them all – 68 drug-related deaths in Singapore in 2025. 68. This is a 15% increase from 59 deaths in 2024.

32. These were cases where drugs were detected in the person during post-mortem analysis. About 30% of these deaths across 2024 and 2025 involved Singaporean abusers who had remained undetected for drug abuse.

33. Let me share two cases.

34. In the first case, a 30-year-old Singaporean male, on his way home after a night of drinking with his friends, suddenly lost control of his movements. He became agitated and eventually suffered a seizure. His condition worsened in hospital and he passed away there. Forensic investigations showed that he had LSD and MDMA in his body, which can cause seizures, coma and cardiovascular collapse.

35. In the second case, a 31-year-old man was playing with his son at home when he suddenly became aggressive. He punched his own father, who was also at home, and was then trying to protect his grandson. During a subsequent struggle with the neighbours who were trying to calm him down, he suddenly fell to his knees and lost consciousness. He was pronounced dead in hospital with no physical injuries. Methamphetamine, however, was found in his bloodstream during the post-mortem.

36. I have cited these cases with the families’ permission, because we want everyone to know that there is no taking chances with drugs. No taking chances. Zero.

37. Drug abuse can also lead to crime and unimaginable consequences. In 2019, a 22-year-old man consumed LSD. He took one tab, and then another, out of curiosity, as he wanted to see “psychedelic colours”. Instead, he experienced severe hallucinations. Under the influence of the drug, he killed his mother and his grandmother. Both of them died at the scene and what is left is a young man whose life is now irrevocably shattered.

38. I share all the families’ grief, and I hope sincerely that none of you ever have to go through this pain.

39. Let me now be clear, however, about drug traffickers. Drug trafficking is a cold, calculated and pre-meditated crime, fuelled by greed. Traffickers don’t simply peddle in drugs, they profit from the addiction, as well as the attendant misery that they inflict on their customers and the loved ones around them.

40. The 68 drug-related deaths in 2025 is a much higher number than the number of persons awaiting capital punishment today. These traffickers were caught trafficking in large amounts of drugs like methamphetamine, heroin and cannabis. Taken together, the drugs carried by these capital traffickers would have been enough to feed the addiction of more than 10,000 abusers every day, for a week. 10,000 abusers, consuming every day, for a week. That is the scale of the harm that we are talking about.

41. These are just the numbers that we have been able to interdict and stop.

42. Think about those who continue to connive and scheme, and continue to smuggle drugs into Singapore.

43. That is why we must constantly remain extremely harsh and strict in dealing with drug traffickers.

44. Today, we have Adeline Wong with us. Adeline, I think you might have read her story in the papers, never knew her father – she was only two when he was hanged for drug trafficking. She grew up not knowing the truth about what happened to him. Her mother raised her alone, carrying the burden of that loss whilst working multiple jobs. Out of fear that Adeline would fall into bad company, her mother was strict and this then resulted in a very strained relationship. Adeline struggled during her youth. It was only in her twenties that she reconciled with her mother.

45. Adeline's story is a reminder that the consequences of drug trafficking do not end with the trafficker. They ripple outward – to the children, to the families, sometimes to the next generation.

46. Adeline, thank you very much for being here this evening, to share your story. We thank you and we are grateful to you for the courage that you have shown in sharing this story.

47. I also want to acknowledge Tan Chee Hock, who has spoken candidly about his past as a trafficker. He was first jailed for drug trafficking at just 18 years old, but returned to the drug trade after his release, driven by greed and easy money. At that time, he only cared about himself, and this nearly cost him his life. It was then that Chee Hock finally realised the harm he had caused – not only to himself, but also to his family and those around him.

48. Thank you very much, Chee Hock – it takes courageto confront your past and speak about it honestly and openly. Again, why? So that others can learn from your experience and not go down the path that you had to go down.


Stories of Resilience and Surrender Regime

49. But amidst the gloom and these stories, we also see stories of hope. I would like to share some with you as well.

50. Let me highlight Azlinda and Hairi, who are here with us as well. Both of them had abused drugs since they were teenagers. Azlinda was selling drugs, and Hairi was her client. That was how their relationship began – that’s how they met. But both of them turned over a new leaf, largely because of their families. After their release, they reconnected, and got married, and today, they are running a support group. They conduct workshops for couples who are former offenders, motivating them to support each other on their recovery. They shared that this also helps them stay on track for their own recovery. So it’s a plus-plus, it’s a win-win.

51. And to Azlinda, Hairi, Chee Hock, Adeline and all the others who are on this journey, let me just say – we are so proud of you. Your journey reminds us that it takes courage, but also that recovery is possible. It requires a willingness, however, to take a first step and seek help, and that’s what you have done, and I hope your story inspires many others to do the same.

52. In this regard, in 2019, we announced the surrender regime for abusers who voluntarily come forward to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for help. Under this regime, drug abusers who surrender will be placed on a step-down regime based on CNB’s risk assessment. This can include being placed only on drug supervision in the community, or detained in the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) for rehabilitation. All abusers will be given two surrender opportunities in their lifetime under this regime.

53. We have reviewed the regime, to encourage more first-time abusers to come forward and seek help with their addiction.

54. Therefore, with effect from 16 May 2026, tomorrow, all first-time drug abusers who surrender will not be sent to the DRC, but will instead be placed on drug supervision in the community with compulsory case management.

55. The conditions of the current surrender regime will continue to apply. And drug abusers who want to wean off their drug addiction and live a drug-free life, will be supported with regular counselling sessions in the community, which will involve psychology-based methods such as goal-setting and family engagement, accompanied by regular hair or urine testing by CNB. This, we hope, will encourage more abusers to come forward, step forward, and see that Singapore is for them – Singapore will help them to rehabilitate.


Campaign Details

56. Remembrance Day today is more than just an observance event. It is a platform for us to come together to raise awareness and build support against drugs within our community.

57. This year's campaign therefore also includes programmes curated by our community partners, such as Architects of Life, Prison Fellowship Singapore and A Voice To Be Heard. Former abusers and their families will also be sharing their stories.

58. I want to thank the Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths agencies for facilitating these very meaningful programmes for our youths, as well as amplifying the drug-free message across various platforms.

59. This whole-of-government approach is what we need to tackle a deep-seated problem like drugs.

60. I also want to acknowledge everyone here this evening who have come, and taken time to be here at this event – the individuals, the families, the volunteers, the various community organisations. All of you coming together, you build that community resilience that I have spoken about, and that is what is needed to keep our society drug-free. The work that you do is very often unseen, quiet, behind-the-scenes, but let me tell you, it matters tremendously. Thank you very much to all of you.


A Regional and Global Effort

61. As we know, drug trafficking is transnational. It doesn’t stop at the borders. In fact, it does not respect the borders and drug abuse affects all countries.

62. The fight against drugs, therefore, cannot be won by any one country alone.

63. And in this regard, I am very glad that ASEAN countries have consistently maintained a very strong consensus against drugs, and have agreed to Singapore’s proposal to observe an annual ASEAN Drug Victims Remembrance Day on 26 June, starting this year, alongside the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

64. By coming together in solidarity, we are sending a clear message: ASEAN stands united and ASEAN remains committed to a drug-free future for our people.

65. For today’s exhibition, we have also invited ASEAN Member States to share stories of victims of drug abuse from their countries. Your stories remind us that drug abuse is a shared human tragedy that transcends borders.


Call to Action

66. The stories we have heard today remind us why we can never become complacent in our fight against drugs. Never.

67. I invite each and every one of you to carry forward the message of Remembrance Day. Visit the exhibition. Read the stories. And let the stories stay with you. And make a pledge – to yourself, to your family, to your community – to stay drug-free, and to speak up against drugs wherever you can.

68. Together, I think we can all continue to keep Singapore safe from drugs, and ensure that the stories that you will see in this exhibition and you will hear today in the course of Drugs Victims Remembrance Day remain the exception, and not the norm.

69. Thank you very much.