SINGAPORE: Authorities in Singapore are turning to artificial intelligence to develop new tools to test for new synthetic drugs.7up gaming

This is to keep pace with the rapid rise of new psychoactive substances (NPS) around the world.

These lab-made drugs give abusers the same high as common drugs such as heroin and cannabis. However, these substances can evade most traditional drug tests because of their complex chemical makeup and the rapidity with which they can emerge. 

“When a particular substance is prohibited in a country, clandestine laboratories need only make minor modifications in the chemical structure of the controlled drug to create a new compound and hence evade the legislation,” the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) told CNA.

“As a result, the authorities are always playing catch-up, due to the lag from the time a new psychoactive substance is detected to the time it is listed in the country’s legislation.”

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES

The surge in production and trafficking of NPS in the region is a major concern for authorities.

During the period when the psychoactive substance is unlisted, enforcement and prosecutorial action cannot be taken against those who deal in it, said CNB. 

It has addressed the rapid proliferation through generic listing, and also in the recent Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) amendments that came into effect in June. 

“This will allow it to take action more quickly against illicit activities involving psychoactive substances that are not yet scheduled as controlled drugs,” said the authority. 

Among its efforts is working closely with forensic agencies to detect NPS.

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has developed advanced testing methodologies to ensure that new substances are able to be identified, it added. 

Meanwhile, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) is developing NPS testing capabilities, including an AI tool to decipher the chemical composition of unknown NPS. 

Powered by machine learning, this AI tool can predict if the structure of an unknown NPS is similar to common drugs.

Related:Singapore closely monitoring new psychoactive substances as global supply, local abusers spike Families, loved ones of drug abusers suffer from emotional, social fallout of addiction: Social workers DEVELOPING ADVANCED TESTING

As the global drug situation becomes more complicated, drug test kits are constantly being developed.

They are designed to detect specific by-products that remain in an abuser's body after taking illicit drugs. 

Currently, the test kits in the market are considered advanced and versatile. Just a small sample from an abuser's urine, saliva, or hair is enough to get a result.

They can also detect tampering by measuring acidity, temperature, and other characteristics of the sample.

For instance, urine tests are able to detect at least 200 different individual and classes of drugs.

However, these are still not enough, according to Alcotech, a provider of drug testing products and services. 

“Novel synthetic drugs are very, very new. So no test kits have been produced to specifically detect those,” said Mr Ben Chan, a specialist at Alcotech. 

A negative result can appear when existing test kits are used to detect abuse of novel synthetic drugs.

When a new synthetic drug emerges, developing a test kit for it can take two years, said Mr Chan. 

“Novel synthetic drugs are still being produced, and this will be a catch up,” he added. 

“There will never be a day that you can preemptively detect things that are not invented yet or just recently invented.”

Abuse of synthetic drugs can lead to cardiovascular problems and seizures. It could also lead to a severe toxic reaction leading to death. 

Meanwhile, some halfway houses are relying on former drug abusers to look out for signs of substance misuse. 

“People coming into the centre, you can see they are high, (and) you will know,” said Mr Samuel Wong, programme manager at HCSA Highpoint halfway house and a former drug abuser. 

“You can actually assess a person (to see if) this guy's eyes are very red, (he) walks with a stagger, slurs his speech and cannot put sentences together, (his) thoughts are a bit haywire, and (he) cannot sit down.”

Related:From drug abuser to psychotherapist: How one man turned his life around Central Narcotics Bureau evaluating use of instant hair testing to detect drug use “TIRED OF THIS DRUG LIFE”

When halfway house residents are back in the community, they require support to stay relevant and committed to a life without drugs, he added. 

“If there’s a community out there to be able to assist them in that transition, in that reintegration journey, we see a higher success rate.”

Mr Shawn Lim, head of programme for HCSA Highpoint, said the main concerns of residents who come in are securing employment and housing, as well as finding purpose in life. 

“Because in the past, they were always involved in drugs. So when they come here, we start to instill in them a new purpose in life, for them to have a new goal in life,” he added.

“I think an important part is the support of the community, among friends and family members.”

But there is only so much that the halfway house can do, said Mr Lim. “I think one of the main factors is that the person must realise that there’s a need to change.

“So it could be that the person has been in and out of prison, or tired of this kind of life, or it could be that, when he came out, he lost his family, then there’s a need to change. We (try to help them) find the pillar of so-called strength for them to say that they need to change.”

One halfway house resident Ryan (not his real name) said ex-offenders yearn for a second chance. 

“I am really tired of this drug life. I am ashamed to say I was a hardcore addict,” he added. 

“I want a new life transformation.”

CNB said that while tough laws and robust enforcement are needed, preventive education also plays a big role in protecting Singaporeans from drugs. 

“While the drug situation in Singapore is relatively well-managed compared with other countries’, we have observed a worrying trend of growing permissiveness towards drugs among our youths, reflective of the broader global shift,” it said. 

It added that the internet exposes the young to liberal ideas in other parts of the world. 

“The war against drugs cannot be successfully fought by the government alone. We need strong support from the community7up gaming, especially parents and educators.”

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