Ex-prisoner to share his experience on drug abuse

MELAKA: A former Singaporean prisoner will share his experience on narcotic abuse with inmates undergoing treatment at two drug rehabilitation centres in Melaka.

State Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman Low Chee Leong said Bruce Mathieu would be a speaker at the Tampin Drug Rehabilitation Centre next month before covering another centre in the following month.

He had previously served 20 years in prison for drug-related offences. He is now an anti-drug advocate as well as a motivational speaker in Singapore.

Low said special focus would be given to dozens of female inmates at these centres before extending such talks to schools here.

“It’s disturbing to note that a majority of addicts in the state are in the age bracket of 21 to 30 and female addicts are below 40, ” he said.Low said in view of this, the state government is working with international bodies to raise anti-drug awareness and other health-related programmes.

The talk is a joint effort by the Melaka government and India’s Ganesh Somwanshi, who is with the US-based Global Goodwill Ambassadors.