Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on the Respective Number and Percentage of First-Time Drug Abusers who Underwent the Enhanced Direct Supervision Order (EDSO), by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law

Question:

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) to date, what are the respective number and percentage of first-time drug abusers who (i) underwent the Enhanced Direct Supervision Order (EDSO) instead of the Drug Rehabilitation Centre regime or were incarcerated (ii) reoffended within five years of their completing their EDSO (iii) complied with their EDSO (iv) were employed full-time during their EDSO and (v) who continued to be employed upon completion of their EDSO; and (b) what is the number of drug addicts who have voluntarily surrendered to the authorities due to the EDSO.

Answer:

1.   From the introduction of the Enhanced Direct Supervision Order (EDSO) in September 2019 to 31 August 2021, 218 first-time drug abusers, comprising 9.7% of all first-time abusers arrested in that time period, were placed on the EDSO instead of being channelled to a Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) or sentenced to imprisonment.

2.   Of these, 120 supervisees (55%) have completed their EDSO, and 91 (41.7%) are still on their EDSO. The remaining seven supervisees (3.3%) had consumed drugs during their EDSO period and were admitted to a DRC or charged for drug consumption under Section 8(b) of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

3.   As the EDSO was only implemented in 2019 with the completion of the first batch of supervision orders in March 2021, we do not have data on the number of supervisees who have reoffended within the five-year period from the completion of their EDSO.

4.   Based on information provided by the supervisees, 96 (80%) of the 120 supervisees who have completed their EDSO were engaged in full-time or part-time employment during the period of supervision. Of the 91 supervisees currently on their EDSO, 61 (67%) are employed full-time. CNB does not track the employment status of supervisees upon the completion of their supervision order.

5.   Since 2019, 52 drug abusers have met the conditions for the Surrender Regime. ¹ Of these, nine drug abusers were subsequently placed on the EDSO. CNB does not track the specific reasons for surrender, whether it was due to the EDSO or other factors.

¹ The conditions for the surrender regime are:

a) Abuser must not have surrendered himself or herself more than twice per lifetime;

b) Abuser must surrender to a CNB office or police station;

c) Abuser must test positive for controlled drugs; and

d) Abuser must not be wanted by authorities, under investigation, on bail, serving an on-going court sentence and be a current supervisee.