Jackie Chan, Singapore's 1st anti-drug ambassador, supports death penalty for traffickers

SINGAPORE, May 8 (UPI) -- Singapore has named action celebrity Jackie Chan its first anti-drug ambassador.

The Rush Hour co-star told thousands of students gathered at Nanyang Polytechnic that their "only choice is to stay away from drugs."

"You cannot experiment with drugs and not expect to be hooked," he said, according to Bloomberg.

Chan also said in some cases he supports the death penalty for drug traffickers, who, like the villains he battles on-screen, are responsible for "hurting thousands."

"On some issues, I do support the death penalty," Chan said, according to the BBC.

"When you're hurting thousands and thousands of young children, I think these kind of people are useless. You should get the right punishment."

In January, Chan's son Jaycee was fined and sentenced to six months in jail in Beijing. At the time, the elder Chan refused to use his connections to lighten his son's sentence.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported police found 100 grams of marijuana at Jaycee Chan's home in Beijing at the time of his arrest.

"I would never think it would happen to my family," Chan told students in Singapore. "The day I found out, I am so ashamed, I am so angry. How [did] that happen?"

Chan said he was very angry but the incident strengthened his opposition to drugs.

Southeast Asia has become a major site of the global narcotics trade. The region was trading opiates, including heroin, worth an estimated $16.3 billion in 2014.

Drug traffickers in Singapore can face the death penalty or caning. Drug abusers can be jailed for up to 10 years.