Having lived in Singapore for most of my life, I am well aware and quite appreciative of Sinagpores harsh laws. I have also always been under the impression that because of its harsh laws, illicit drug consumption was almost non-existent. However, when I started taking global politics and being more involved and active in understanding news and current events, I came to realize that substance abuse in Singapore was far more common than I thought.
I started doing research and was shocked at the amount of class-A drugs seized annually, despite the fact that Singapre isn’t a drug producing country. Whilst researching I also learned about the large number of resources allocated to erradicating the issue. I was pleasantly surprised to see that large number of NGOs, halfway houses, rehabilitation centers and therapy centers targetted towards addressing substance abuse. I was also happy to learn about the variety of initiative enforced by the government to erradicate the issue. I was impressed by their multi-dimensional approach that used multiple types of power.
I think that this issue will be a good topic to pursue as it is a local issue that not many people know about. I feel that my research will be meaningful, as I will be educating myself on an important issue that isn’t currently talked about. This issue also has the potential to be applied to several of our key concepts in global politics. For example, like I mentioned earlier Singapore isn’t a drug producing country. This must mean that the drugs are being imported into Singapore. I can talk about this through the lens of globalization. Similarly, I can talk about the variety of initiatives introduced by the government by talking about the different types of power they use. I can also talk about how inequality plays a role in substance abuse.
Lastly, I feel that pursuing this issue will give me the most meaningful engagements. All the stakeholders involved are relatively accessible. There are several NGOs and organizations in Sinagapore who encourage young people like me start conversations about substance abuse. I feel optimistic that they will be willing to talk to me and help me with my research. As well as that, there are some halfway houses and rehabilitation centers that I may be able to contact. Furthermore, there are also several ex-offenders who are keen on spreading the word about substance abuse in Singapore. Hopefully, I will get the opportunity to talk to them.