ABOUT US

History

We’ve come a long way.

The government then felt it was necessary to get more Singaporeans to participate and complement the work of CNB. SANA was formed on 19 August 1972 with the late Dr Ee Peng Liang as its first president. Prominent civil servants were appointed to form SANA’s first Board of Management.

1840s to 1960s

  • Problems with drug abuse existed in Singapore since the 19th century
  • Opium smoking was common among the Chinese community
  • Total number of Chinese addicts was at 15,000
  • There was a strong link between drug addiction and the increases in crime rates
  • Opium abuse was officially deemed illegal in Singapore on 1 Feb 1946
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1970s to 1980s

  • Hippie culture in the 1970s saw youths consuming “hard drugs” such as morphine and cannabis.
  • Drug addiction affected all races and became a national problem.
  • Number of heroin addicts increased 200 times from 1973 to 1975.
  • Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) was set up in 1971 to fight the rise in drug addiction.
  • SANA was set up in 1972 to complement the work of the CNB. Its main objectives were to educate the public on the dangers of drug abuse and to provide recovering persons with counselling and aftercare services.
  • The Anti-drug & Inhalant Abuse Badge Scheme (later renamed SANA Badge Scheme) was introduced in 1977. It is a motivational workshop for secondary school students from the Uniform Groups. Students learn about the consequences of drug abuse. The workshop also aims to strengthen the resilience of youths through character building. The programme features presentations, videos and role-play.
  • SANA Drug Abuse Prevention Committees (DAPC) were set up in 1979 to help eradicate the drug menace at the constituency level. They comprised grassroots leaders and volunteers, grouped into clusters for increased efficiency through shared resources and manpower and to give more bite to their preventive drug outreach efforts on the ground.
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1990s to 2000s

  • SANA reinvented itself in the 1990s to address new problems arising from an increased pace of city development and modernisation.
  • The Direct Social Intervention (DSI) programme was started in 1992 to target at-risk school children and youths in certain neighbourhoods.
  • In 1994, SANA initiated Project SMART (Students Moving on A RightTrack) to leverage on the Ministry of Education’s approval to incorporate the anti-drug component in the Sec 1 Science syllabus.
  • In 1997, SANA started working closely with grassroots and religious organisations to galvanise community support to assist ex-drug addicts to reintegrate into society.
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2001 to 2014

  • In 2001 the Case Management Framework (CMF) was introduced. The CMF is a holistic approach in counselling, comprising a 2-month pre-release in-care phase and a 6-month aftercare phase following the inmate’s release. There is an optional 6 months’ extension.
  • In 2011, SANA introduced the Gotong-Royong Programme (a flagship of the Post Aftercare Department), which builds bonding and trust among recovering persons and their families through thoughtful activities and supports reintegration.
  • In 2012, SANA joined the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Taskforce on Drugs Committee to chart new strategies to deal with the growing threat of drugs in Singapore
  • 2012 saw the formation of Religious Group of Volunteers (RGVs) who offer spiritual and religious counselling and guidance to inmates. The RGVs is the result of a restructure of the Religious Affiliates, in order to meet the requirements of the Charities Regulations 2007.
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2015 to Today

  • In February 2015, the Case Management Services (CMS) programme, an enhancement of the Case Management Framework (CMF) was introduced. SANA counsels and provides case management to inmates prior to and during their emplacement on Community Based Programmes (CBP) or Release to the Community. Clients receive 6 to 12 months of rehabilitative programme (aftercare) upon release based on a framework seeking to build supports in the community in order to assist in their reintegration back to society. Of the many factors, family support is key to their reintegration.
  • In February 2015, the Case Management Services (CMS) programme, an enhancement of the Case Management Framework (CMF) was introduced. SANA counsels and provides case management to inmates prior to and during their emplacement on Community Based Programmes (CBP) or Release to the Community. Clients receive 6 to 12 months of rehabilitative programme (aftercare) upon release based on a framework seeking to build supports in the community in order to assist in their reintegration back to society. Of the many factors, family support is key to their reintegration.
  • In February 2015, the Case Management Services (CMS) programme, an enhancement of the Case Management Framework (CMF) was introduced. SANA counsels and provides case management to inmates prior to and during their emplacement on Community Based Programmes (CBP) or Release to the Community. Clients receive 6 to 12 months of rehabilitative programme (aftercare) upon release based on a framework seeking to build supports in the community in order to assist in their reintegration back to society. Of the many factors, family support is key to their reintegration.
Read more