3 girls aged between 13 and 14 arrested for abusing drugs
Drug-smoking apparatus, and the black pouch for the apparatus, recovered from one of the 13-year-old girl arrested on Feb 6, 2024.
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BY
ASHLEY THAM
Published February 8, 2024Updated February 8, 2024
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SINGAPORE — Three teenage girls were arrested for abusing Ice, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Thursday (Feb 8).
The girls, a 14-year-old and two 13-year-old students, admitted to abusing drugs together on "some occasions", said CNB.
"In the early hours of Feb 6, CNB officers visited the residence of a 14-year-old girl and arrested her therein for suspected drug abuse."
CNB added that a stained packet was recovered from a search of her room, with preliminary investigations revealing that she had "started abusing Ice when she was 13".
Investigations also found that on the last occasion of taking Ice — about a week before her arrest — the 14-year-old girl was abusing the drug, also known as crystal methamphetamine, at home with two other friends.
Officers proceeded to arrest the two other girls at their residences.
"One of the 13-year-old had decided to participate in abusing Ice out of curiosity when she saw the other two girls doing so," said CNB.
Investigations on all three girls are ongoing.
CNB also highlighted in its news release the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) 2022 Health and Lifestyle survey, which found that the mean age of onset of drug abuse was 15.9 years of age, while 41.8 per cent of those who abused drugs started before the age of 18.
In the survey, it found that residences — one's own home or a friend's home — were the most commonly cited location for drug consumption and that "curiosity" was one of the main quoted reasons for drug abuse.
"This case is a reminder that the fight against drugs is not one that CNB can win by itself, that parents, family members, schools, all have a part to play in this fight," said Deputy Director of Policy and Administration of CNB Sng Chern Hong.
Mr Sng, who is also the assistant commissioner of CNB, added that it is important for parents to initiate conversations about the harm of drugs with their children.
"Parents will have to sustain the conversation by constantly reminding their children not to be tempted or pressured by their peers into taking drugs as drug abuse can and will have devastating consequences." CNA
