Expat schools crack down on drug abuse, may expel users

From testing their urine to examining strands of hair for traces of narcotics, international schools in Singapore are taking a zero-tolerance stance towards students who abuse drugs.

Expatriate teenagers - including a boy of 13 - were among 15 suspected cannabis users arrested on Wednesday. And foreign students have told The Straits Times that substances such as marijuana, Ecstasy and even heroin can be bought at exclusive 'invite-only' house parties.

But although drug use appears to be prevalent among expat youngsters here, the good news is the majority of their schools are doing all they can to stop it.

If a Singapore American School student is suspected of drug abuse, strands of his hair are sent to a laboratory. Drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and crystal methamphetamine will likely show up, as hair growth is fed by a person's bloodstream.

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