Singapore: Actor Jackie Chan was yesterday named Singapore’s first celebrity anti-drug ambassador. The kung fu movie star spoke about his son Jaycee Chan’s drug crimes as he warned the city state’s youth off illegal substances.
Jaycee was released from jail in February after serving a six-month sentence on drugs charges. He was formally charged last year with “the crime of sheltering others to take drugs” after testing positive for marijuana.
Police said they found 100 grams of it at his Beijing home. Jaycee apologised for his actions upon his release.
The actor, said, “I would never think it would happen to my family. The day I found out, I am so ashamed, I am so angry. How (did) that happen? After, you know, all the young children (said) ‘no that’s nothing, we just playing…fooling around’. I’m lucky, I could find out sooner. If it was too late, it was probably too late.”
The older Chan, who was named an anti-drug ambassador by Beijing in 2009, tried to deter youths off drug use.
He said, “Don’t ever think you won’t get addicted, because not only are you hurting yourself — young people, remember — not only are you hurting yourself, which is fine, but you need to know, your one drug addiction will hurt your family, in order to earn money, you’ll steal, you’ll rob, in the end, you’re hurting your country, you’re hurting your family, you’re hurting your son…it’s a domino effect.”
China cracked down on a string of celebrities in a high profile campaign against illegal drugs last year,
Drug use in the country has grown along with the rise of a new urban class with greater disposable income.
Ventuno