Back in the 1970s, young people abusing drugs were seen as a growing problem. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) was set up in 1971 to combat the drug problem. At that time, there was only one government drug treatment centre on St John’s Island, without any halfway house or aftercare facility.
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.