Singapore’s Side Event at the 68th Commission on Narcotics Drugs – Opening Speech by Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development

Her Excellency Ghada Waly, Executive Director of UNODC,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Introduction

1. Good afternoon.

2. Thank you for attending this side event.

3. Singapore is honoured to partner UNODC again this year in hosting this side event.

Global Trends on the Harms of Drug Abuse

4. The theme of this side event is “Understanding the Adverse Impact of Drug Use on Health, Socioeconomic, as well as Safety and Security Outcomes: What Data and Research Tell Us” . This topic is especially pertinent given the worsening global drug problem:

(a) The 2024 World Drug Report estimated that globally, 64 million people suffered from a drug use disorder in 2022. In 2019, approximately 500,000 deaths and 31 million years of ‘healthy’ life lost were attributable to drug use.

(b) Drug use disorders also fuel a vicious cycle of socioeconomic disadvantages for drug abusers and their families, by increasing the risks of unemployment, poverty and homelessness.

5. Furthermore, drug abuse can also have a negative impact on society at large, as evidenced by the extensive research on the links between drugs, crime and violence.

Singapore’s Commitment to Advancing Research on the Harms of Drug Abuse

6. Singapore recognises the different dimensions of drug harms and is committed to supporting the important work of CND and UNODC in advancing knowledge of such harms through research. To this end, we collaborate with independent experts, both in Singapore and internationally, to conduct robust, objective, and evidence-based research on the harms of drug abuse. For example:

(a) The Singapore government had commissioned independent researchers from Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health to conduct an extensive review of the scientific literature on the harmful effects of cannabis use on cognitive functions, physical health and mental health. Given recent developments related to cannabis and its related products, Singapore will be refreshing the study.

(b) The Institute was also engaged to conduct a nationwide survey to establish the prevalence of illicit drug use in Singapore. The survey collected data on mental health outcomes as well and found that the prevalence of mental disorders was generally higher among drug abusers.

(c) Recognising that a multi-disciplinary lens is required to better understand the impact of illicit drugs, the Singapore government commissioned economists from a Singapore university to estimate the economic costs of drug crimes in Singapore more holistically. The study’s key findings, released in 2020, estimated the total cost of drug crimes in Singapore to be USD 1 billion in 2015. We are also working on another study to quantify the lifetime monetary cost of drug abusers and their families.

7. Besides this side event, Singapore is sponsoring a chapter in this year’s World Drug Report, which will examine the adverse impact of illicit drug use globally, with a focus on the physical and mental health consequences.

(a) I would like to thank UNODC’s Research and Trend Analysis Branch, and the experts consulted for this chapter. We look forward to its publication this June.

8. I would also like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our distinguished panellists for being here today. Your expertise and insights are invaluable and will greatly enrich our understanding of this important topic. Thank you.