According to Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau's annual statistical report, the number of cannabis abusers younger than 20 who were detained increased threefold from 8 in 2021 to 26 in 2022.
They constituted almost one-fifth of all juvenile drug abusers apprehended in 2022.
The overall number of cannabis abusers arrested climbed by 71% from 138 in 2021 to 236 in 2022, according to a news release issued by CNB on Wednesday (Feb 15).
168 of the 236 people arrested for cannabis usage in 2017 were first-time offenders, and seven out of ten were under 30 years old.
CNB Director Sam Tee stated that the organization has identified "worrying" patterns "Trends of rising cannabis seizures and a growing number of new cannabis abusers under 30 years of age, with some as young as 14 years old, have been documented.
There was a 24 per cent rise in cannabis seizures from 107.08kg in 2021 to 133.25kg in 2022, CNB stated.
Methamphetamine remained the most misused substance in Singapore in 2014, with 1,445 arrests representing 51% of the total number of users.
Mr. Tee characterized the increase in cannabis consumption in Singapore as a "grave worry."
"Recent polls indicate that, in part due to the 'normalization' of cannabis misuse in other areas of the world, an increasing number of our kids may hold more lenient attitudes about narcotics "he stated.
"Despite the well-documented risks of cannabis, including its potential for addiction, they do not believe that cannabis is dangerous.
CNB will boost its efforts to educate young people about the dangers of cannabis and drug usage.
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