National Council Against Drug Abuse - NCADA

💪 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 - 𝟖𝟔% 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐬, 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐰𝐨-𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓. ​

But challenges remain: nearly half of first-time drug arrestees last year were under 30, and the youngest was just 12.​

Building a drug-free Singapore takes 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒖𝒔. ​

Read more about the insights shared at our NCADA Forum: https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20260418-8914869​

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本地反毒努力收效 更多青少年明白大麻有害 本地越来越多青少年认识到大麻有害。全国防止嗜毒理事会去年的调查显示，本地超过86%的青少年明白滥用大麻将损害人体健康；这个比率远高于2015年的三分之二。

At the DrugFreeSG Forum on 18 April, community partners explored youth drug perceptions and ideas for new collaborations on ground-up initiatives and research, with SMS Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim joining us as Guest-of-Honour.​

🤝 While more youths recognise the harms of drugs, many still lack guidance at home. Prevention begins with honest conversations, and it takes families, schools, and communities working together.​

Thank you, SMS Faishal, for your continued support of our mission. Together, we can build a drug-free Singapore.​

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👥 𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐀 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐨𝐧 𝟏𝟐 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡. ​

Minister K Shanmugam shared findings from the 2025 National Drug Perception Survey, which showed 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝟗𝟑% 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 and 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟗𝟔% 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲. 📊​

🛡️ We support the vital role of 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 in building 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 against drug abuse.​

👉 Read more: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/spore-will-maintain-tough-stance-against-drug-abuse-despite-criticisms-k-shanmugam​

The Straits Times - Breaking news, Singapore news, Asia and world news & multimedia The Straits Times - Get latest breaking news, business, sports, lifestyle, tech & multimedia and more news in Singapore, Asia & rest of the world at straitstimes.com.

🛡️ "𝘼𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙜 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙚", 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙉𝘾𝘼𝘿𝘼 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙏𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙪𝙖𝙩.​

As digital platforms expose young people to pro-drug narratives earlier, preventive conversations must start sooner.📱​

👨‍👩‍👧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞-𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 - 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡.​

👉 Read more: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/youth-drug-abuse-parents-communication-6001121​

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As more youths get arrested for drugs, is the onus on parents to start conversations early? Parents are advised to talk to their children about drugs at an early age. But the fear of planting the idea and the difficulty in broaching the subject hinder them, say experts.

Addressing youth substance abuse means recognising underlying factors - peer pressure, stress, and the need for acceptance. Effective intervention begins with empathetic dialogue, not confrontation.💨​

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents can find evidence‑based guidance on supporting teens through HPB’s Parent Hub: go.gov.sg/peao-vape-4​

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬’ 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐞 - 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬. ​

📱Today’s youths face constant, often invisible influence - from group chats to global trends. Yet research shows parents remain one of the strongest protective factors, not by controlling choices but by shaping how young people interpret what they see and hear. ​

Presence means being approachable: check‑ins, curiosity without intrusion, and space for conversations before they become urgent. 💬​

When questions are met with 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 rather than panic or lectures, 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔 - 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒔. 🌱​

What helps you stay connected with your child? Share your tips below.​

💊 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡, 𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐀 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐱 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞’𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦, 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝟕𝟎 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.​

​As part of NUS’ Anti-Vaping Campaign, NCADA Council member Ravindran Nagalingam addressed the dangers of inhalants and etomidate misuse while outlining support pathways for students.​

​The programme combined a panel Q&A with a Kahoot quiz led by NUS student ambassadors. ​

​This initiative reaffirms 𝑵𝑪𝑨𝑫𝑨’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈‑𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 across Singapore.💡

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📊 𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐀 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐫 𝐒 𝐁 𝐕𝐢𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐧, 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐂𝐍𝐀𝟗𝟑𝟖 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐍𝐁’𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬. ​ ​

He noted that while Singapore enjoys strong consensus for staying drug-free, youths face rising vulnerabilities: pro-drug narratives online, peer pressure, and easy access via encrypted apps. ​

🏫𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒐𝒏‑𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈 𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔.​

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🔗 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen/cna938-rewind/big-question-why-are-our-young-seeking-drugs-5939276

𝐃𝐫 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐞, 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐞-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞 (𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐀) 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐂𝐍𝐀 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐍𝐁’𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 📊. ​

While Singapore remains committed to a drug‑free society, youths face rising risks: global narratives normalising drug use, peer pressure, and easier access through digital networks. ​

Dr Lee stressed that parents are the first line of defence. 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚, 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆, 𝒓𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦​

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🔗 https://www.mewatch.sg/watch/Feb-2026-CH-5-News-Tonight-729202

𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐫 𝐓𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐮𝐚𝐭, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞 (𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐀)

Drug abuse is a global scourge that destroys lives and families. While Singapore’s situation remains stable, exposure to pro-drug narratives and misinformation underscores the need for vigilance.​

Against this backdrop, the 2025 National Drug Perception Survey found youths who spoke with parents about drugs were overwhelmingly deterred - yet nearly 2 in 5 have not. These findings, read alongside CNB’s latest statistics, highlight why NCADA is deepening efforts to equip parents with resources and workshops, and to create more spaces for research insights and community action.​

𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒔, 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.​

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🔗 CNB Annual Statistics 2025: https://www.cnb.gov.sg/mediaroom/news/cnb-annual-statistics-2025/ ​

🌐 Learn more about NCADA: ncada.org.sg