editorial comment Of course, "sociologist" like professor Chua might be wrong. Maybe Singapore is wrong too. Maybe this is why there are no Miles Davis coming from there. Then again, the government seems to think that accounting is a creative field (which is only true at Enron). Rest in peace Singapore. Noboby wants to go there anyway!

The recent high profile drug bust in which several expatriate and local professionals were arrested for trafficking and possessing cocaine throws into sharp focus Singapore's tough but highly-effective anti-drug laws.

It highlights Singapore's unbending stance on crime, one that many believe has helped make it a safe and prosperous country. But the recent bust also shows that drug crimes might not just be confined to any particular section of society.

Unlike the usual band of school drop-outs and low-income abusers, the recent arrests have thrown up at least 23 people; most of them highly-paid professionals and affluent businessmen.
Those arrested include a Briton, a Frenchman, a Sri Lankan and a Tunisian.

Three of the 23 are facing trafficking charges, which could mean the mandatory death sentence. Though human rights activists may argue that the laws are harsh, sociologists such as Stella Quah say that the stance has been highly-effective in "deterring drug trafficking and drug abuse within the national borders, considering the magnitude of the drug problem in other countries".

But, with Singapore leaning towards an aggressive immigration policy to boost its population to an eventual 8 million target, will these measures be adequate to stave off the growing tide of drug crimes that are associated with high-density cities?

After all, say experts, despite tough anti-drug laws and a spate of successful clampdowns on drug rings, there appears to be a rise in synthetic drug abuse in Singapore.

Last year, although heroin users fell by 75 per cent, 72 per cent of new abusers took synthetic drugs compared to 57 per cent in 2002.

This is in line with United Nations reports, which said about 40 million of those aged 15 and above around the world have abused amphetamine-type stimulants such as "Ice" and Ecstasy.
Asia alone accounts for roughly two-thirds of such drug abuse, mostly in East and South-east Asia, due mostly to the abuse of Yaba.

National University of Singapore sociologist Chua Beng Huat thinks that the problem is likely to get murkier as Singapore grows into an arts hub and a gambling destination where tourists – well-heeled or otherwise -- start pouring in to partake not only of the pleasures of opera theatre but also pachinko, roulette and the attendant joys of the flesh.

Around the world, the arts scene and the high-rollers club are strongly associated with a culture of tolerance towards drug taking. As such, the enforcement of anti-drug laws can only get more complicated.

In Singapore, for example, the authorities may find it increasingly necessary to tackle offenders who come from more drug tolerant societies. Are these foreigners adequately educated on the tough punishment awaiting them if they are caught taking or "trafficking" in drugs in Singapore?

According to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), "the dangers of abusing synthetic drugs are constantly publicised through the mass media".

In an email reply to Today's queries, spokesman Dawn Sim said the CNB had been publicising "our strict laws as set out in the Misuse of Drugs Act against the trafficking, manufacture, possession and consumption of illicit drugs".

Apart from its numerous anti-drug programmes, it also organises an annual "Clubs Against Drugs" campaign, together with the National Council Against Drug Abuse, to enlist club operators to promote the anti-drug message to their patrons, who are mainly young adults.

Have these messages reached foreigners entering the country?

Said Professor Chua: "Those who don't know the (tough punishments awaiting them) and drop into drug use after coming here are the ones that are difficult to deal with justly."

So, what are the solutions? Maybe all foreigners should undergo mandatory urine tests when they apply for employment passes, say some critics.

Others argue that the anti-drug education process for foreigners should be ramped up aggressively, especially as Singapore heads the way of the cosmopolitan city. Would this put off some foreigners from the idea of coming to Singapore to work and live?

Perhaps. But sociologists such as Professor Chua believe that this could be a better scenario than incarcerating and hanging people in increasing numbers if the drug problem spirals out of control.

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