Remembering victims of drug abuse at inaugural ceremony held in Singapore
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Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam (left), with Ministers of State Alvin Tan (right) and Gan Siow Huang (back), looking at digital candles at the Drug Victims Remembrance Day on May 17.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
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SINGAPORE - The mood at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza was solemn as Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam led invited guests to “light” LED candles against a wall and observe a minute’s silence to remember the lives lost to drug abuse.
Each candle represented 1,000 lives lost. In 2019, 600,000 people worldwide died as a result of drug abuse, according to the World Health Organisation.
The ceremony held on May 17 was to mark the inaugural Drug Victims Remembrance Day, organised by the Inter-Ministry Committee on Drug Prevention for Youths. It hopes to remind people that drug harm is far-reaching, affecting both drug abusers and their families and loved ones.
Said Mr Shanmugam: “The rest of the community also suffers. (They) could be the target of crimes because people (drug abusers) need to commit crimes in order to feed their habit.
“They could be the target of violence that drug abusers often exhibit when they are under the influence of drugs... At the same time, we also want, through this day, to remember those who have overcome drug abuse and the struggles that they face to overcome their addiction.”
Visitors walked through a life-size mock-up of a home showing the struggles of a family grappling with drug abuse, through items strewn on the floor and furniture, and video screens depicting family members in distress.
Digital storyboards told real-life stories of the toll of drug use, drawn from news reports and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) case files.
Bags of cannabis, locked in ventilated containers guarded by CNB officers, were displayed for visitors to identify and sniff the contents. Fake Ice, heroin and Ecstasy were also displayed.
More than 250 guests attended the event, among them students and former drug abusers.
A smaller version of the event will rove around eight heartland locations from May 24 to July 21.
Through public education and community engagements held in conjunction with Drug Victims Remembrance Day, the inter-ministry committee aims to foster empathy, understanding, and support for families and friends of loved ones grappling with drug abuse, said CNB.
Bags of cannabis, locked in ventilated containers guarded by Central Narcotics Bureau officers, were displayed for visitors to identify and sniff the contents.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Ms Sedrlyn Yap, assistant director of the Correctional Rehabilitation Services Branch at the Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC), said families struggle when a family member is trapped in a cycle of drug abuse.
Ms Yap said: “I realised we always talk about the person in addictions. But we never really talk about the unsung heroes, their families who supported them through their recovery, or who went through hardships with them when they were not recovering.”
The DRC Family Engagement Workgroup has produced Waiting For You, a book that explores the experiences of 22 families of DRC inmates.
Families of drug abusers often face emotional and financial hardships, said Ms Yap, recalling an elderly woman who would visit her son in prison despite having to travel a long distance while struggling with mobility issues.
Ms Yap added: “There’s this sense of loss every time the family asks about the woman’s son. She has to tell them the truth about what’s happening, and it’s embarrassing for her because it (her son’s drug abuse) has happened again and again.”
The Singapore Prison Service liaises with community resources such as Family Service Centres to offer assistance if a drug inmate’s family requires help.
In 2023, the number of drug abusers arrested rose by 10 per cent
Former drug abuser Bruce Mathieu said despite his dark past with drugs, his mother was always supportive.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Former drug abuser Bruce Mathieu, who spent a total of 33 years in prison for drug-related offences, said families are seldom on their minds when drug abusers are eyeing their next fix or are deep in a “drug haze”.
Mr Mathieu, a content creator who is now a mentor and speaker to inmates as well, said despite his dark past with drugs, his mother was always supportive.
Mr Mathieu, 55, said: “There were times, I think: ‘Bruce, what are you doing? Look at what hurt you’ve caused your mother, your biggest fan, your biggest supporter’.
“I believe that if I’m determined to do something (like quitting drugs), with enough time and effort, I can do it. The journey is not going to be easy, but it can be done.”
His mother, who died in 2023, raised him as a single parent. When he was released from his fifth term in prison at the age of 46, Mr Mathieu was motivated to clean his life because of his own daughter, now 15 years old.
“I did not want my daughter to have to go through the same things I went through,” he said.
“I knew I had to be around to love, to nurture, and especially to protect her.”
Drug Victims Remembrance Day will be observed on the third Friday of May each year.
