Illegal sex enhancement drugs weren't the only things being sold in the neighborhood — everything from syringes to pill packs were strewn about in the back alleys. Drug raids are commonplace in Geylang, said Cai. While sexual enhancement drugs are illegal under the Medicines Act, Poisons Act, and Health Products Act, sex drug peddlers still lined the side of the main road.
Singapore is well-known for its strict enforcement of the death penalty for trafficking of drugs like heroin. But discarded needles were a common sight in many of the back alleys, many of which were used by drug abusers to shoot up heroin and methamphetamine, according to Cai.
Other drugs like codeine cough syrup and sleeping pills have been peddled illicitly from neighboring apartments in recent years. The dozens of empty bottles and pill packs I saw strewn about the street showed the prevalence of drug abuse in some of these lorongs.
Earlier this year, CNA reported that the trafficking of drugs has only increased since the Covid-19 crisis began. The increase in drug trade has also affected the local community in Geylang, as some residents turn to drugs to deal with the ill-effects of the pandemic.
Cai agrees. "It's the poorer people who resort to using these drugs. While the rich have the means to obtain drugs from elsewhere, the poor have to buy off the streets. The pandemic has led people to turn to drugs to cope with their problems," he added.
