Singapore changes laws to tackle new psychoactive substances, increases penalties for drug possession

Any substance that is "abused" for a high will be defined as a psychoactive substance under Singapore’s new drug laws.

This, however, will exclude substances such as alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, food additives and health products.

Amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Constitution passed in Parliament on Tuesday introduced a new legislative framework for psychoactive substances, by criminalising the trafficking, manufacture, import, export, possession and consumption of such substances.

The amendments also increase the penalties for drug possession, introducing a tiered framework with the maximum jail sentence set at 30 years – three times the previous maximum of 10 years’ jail for possession of a controlled drug.

In his speech introducing the amendments, Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said Singapore must continue to review and refine its laws to keep pace with the evolving drug landscape and local trends.