Dear Editor,
Some Presidents, for all their failures and failings, have never been publicly accused of supporting the use of illicit drugs and have been known as people who oppose using the illicit drug trade to fill financial gaps that hurt the economies of their countries. The same cannot be said for many other Presidents.
Maduro is an example of this point. Another characteristic that should also be noted is their commitment to education and discipline within their school systems.
With the current increase in the use of synthetic drugs in our nation’s schools and the increasing presence of gangs, a solution to these problems must be implemented. The culture of Guyana is one known to be strict and caring. We must not upset this balance when dealing with the current serious problems in our school system. Singapore has a similar culture and has found a very effective way of addressing drug-related problems.
The Misuse of Drugs Act passed by their Parliament in 1973[1] has been effectively implemented and has given Singapore the reputation for having zero tolerance for offences that involve controlled or illicit drugs. The use of caning, prison terms, and even the death penalty has served as strict deterrents to youngsters who are tempted to enter such criminal activity. On the caring side, rehabilitation is mandatory for those suffering from addiction.
For Guyana to quickly and effectively recover from the unfolding crisis in our schools and prevent its reoccurrence, we must embrace improving our laws against illicit drugs and implement them effectively and consistently, without fear or favour.
This means that regardless of who is involved, an unbiased approach that doesn’t succumb to intimidation and pressure must be used. The power of our institutions must remain with the people they serve and not be allowed to be manipulated by those entrusted with leading them.
If another more populous country can achieve success in uplifting their population, it should be easier for Guyana, which has a smaller and closely connected population, to accomplish this. The problems we face as a nation are not very complicated, and the solutions are clear.
To be successful, we must have the will to act and the commitment to do so unbiasedly. If the person assigned to do it is not being fair and, as a result, is not acting in the best interest of our nation, he or she must be replaced. The future of our country depends upon it!
Yours sincerely,
Jamil Changlee
Jamil Changlee
References
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 - Singapore Statutes Online — sso.agc.gov.sg ↩
Source
- Strengthening our society in Guyana Times, March 28, 2026