SAY NO TO DRUGS Anti-drug skits at public libraries

A young child sees her aunt taking some strange “sweets”. Curious about the “sweets”, she tries them. Little did she know that these “sweets” are actually drugs. She starts feeling sleepy and dazed. She offers them to her friend, who observes her changes and is suspicious about the “sweets”. Should he accept these “sweets”?

The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) collaborated with the National Library Board (NLB) to stage 16 anti-drug skits from July to December 2016, as part of the NLB’s Super Storytastic programme to encourage greater conversation between parents and children about the dangers of drug abuse. Super Storytastic is a weekly half-hour storytelling programme held at various public libraries islandwide targeting primary school students (aged 7 to 10 years old) and their parents.

Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Amrin Amin attended a special performance of the anti-drug skit this afternoon alongside 50 parents and children at the Woodlands Regional Library, as actors portrayed difficult situations about children faced with the dilemma of accepting or rejecting drugs. He also shared with parents handy tips from CNB’s anti-drug parent brochure on ways to discuss the drug issue with children. The brochure is disseminated to parents through schools and community organisations from mid-August 2016. A softcopy of the brochure (available in four languages) is also available for download from the CNB Website (PDF, 1.23 MB).

Mr Amrin Amin said, “The Super Storytastic Programme is a great platform. I am very pleased that the CNB and NLB have worked together to use this Super Storytastic platform to talk to parents and children on the anti-drug message. It is not easy for parents to talk to their children on drugs. But the skits were very engaging and presented the anti-drug message to children in a fun and interactive way. We are very glad for the support of the Band of Doodlers for this event. They brought so much joy to the children by encouraging them to express their thoughts in a simple and effective way, through doodling about the anti-drug cause. We hope this event will raise greater awareness among children and their parents on the dangers of drug abuse. We would like to urge more members of the community to join us in spreading the anti-drug message and help us achieve our vision of a Drug-Free Singapore.”

CENTRAL NARCOTICS BUREAU
28 AUGUST 2016

Photo-1: Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Amrin Amin enjoying the anti-drug skit with children and parents, at the Woodlands Regional Library, 28 August 2016. [Photo by Home Team News, Ministry of Home Affairs].

Photo-2: Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Amrin Amin, putting in his best touches at the doodle board, at the anti-drug skit event at Woodlands Regional Library, 28 August 2016. [Photo by Home Team News, Ministry of Home Affairs]

Photo-3: The completed ‘Anti-drug doodle board’, at the Woodlands Regional Library, 28 August 2016. [Photo by Home Team News, Ministry of Home Affairs].