Under Pressure: 62% of Youths Would Feel Pushed to Try Drugs at Social Events, CNB Survey Finds
The Central Narcotics Bureau of Singapore launches “Uninfluenced”, its new campaign to carry drug-free advocacy into a new chapter for Singapore. In the coming months, watch as CNB’s campaign comes to life with intriguing ads, and a series of thought-provoking content, beginning with an interactive escape room experience designed to challenge prevailing mindsets about drugs
Singapore, 28 February 2025 – While Singapore maintains a firm grip on its domestic drug situation, Singapore remains a huge target for the drug trade. The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB)’s latest Singapore Drug Situation Report revealed that in 2024, enforcement efforts led to significant arrests and substantial drug seizures with a street value of more than S$13 million. In a survey commissioned for CNB’s latest Uninfluenced Campaign1, most youths say they are concerned about the issue of drug abuse among young people in Singapore, with 1 in 2 youths also agreeing it would be difficult to reject drugs if offered in a social setting. This went up to 62% (3 in 5 youths) when asked if they might personally feel pressured to try drugs at parties even if they did not really want to. The recognition of concern reflects a finding reported by the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA) in its 2023 National Drug Perception Survey, where more youths shared that they knew someone who had abused drugs compared to five years prior and a growing number becoming permissive towards drugs like cannabis.
1 Other Findings from 2025 Survey for the Uninfluenced Campaign
- 70% of youths said people can be influenced to try drugs
- 2 in 3 youths think that the normalisation of drug abuse in pop culture can influence youths to be more willing to try drugs if offered
- 63% said that innovative ways of selling drugs make drugs more appealing to young people
- 3 in 10 youths think that there are some drugs that are safe to consume
Considering the increase in prevalence of drugs, both in Singapore and in our region, with Singapore’s worrying trends in youth drug abuse, their concern is valid.
CNB’s “Uninfluenced” campaign spotlights the changing drug landscape and why it is vital to be aware of influences that normalise drug abuse in society
As part of ongoing efforts for a drug-free Singapore, CNB has launched the “Uninfluenced” campaign, a three year public education effort. The campaign aims to challenge prevailing mindsets through non-traditional means of delivering preventive drug education messages to provoke thought on the evolving drug issue. In the first year, the campaign explores the interplay between various influences and our own personal and collective affinity on drug issues, and how our responses towards drugs may shift across time and space. The campaign kicks off with a week-long on-ground activation and will be followed by an integrated marketing campaign in March 2025. Please refer to Annex A for details on the campaign.
Kicking off the campaign with immersive escape rooms; using gamified experiences to nudge thought and reflection on influences surrounding drugs
Ben’s Brain
Held at the Stamford Arts Centre, “The Trip: What Happened in Larspura?” is an immersive escape room experience designed to engage youths in a dynamic and interactive way. Participants can experience three distinct but interconnected rooms to gain a clearer understanding of how influences and one’s experiences might contribute to permissiveness and ultimately acceptance towards drugs. Specifically, it spotlights the influence of commercialisation and marketing of drugs which can leave our young unguarded against narratives that are rife with misinformation on drugs. Reflection points in the experience also help participants consider the importance of being a peer who lends support to friends facing the temptation of drug abuse. For more information on “The Trip: What Happened in Larspura?”, please refer to Annex A.
CNB invites all Singaporeans to join the important conversation on the harms of drug abuse, so that we share a strong collective vision to build a resilient drug-free society, which remains uninfluenced amidst a worsening global drug situation.
“Uninfluenced” is designed to spark reflection in order to engage the new generation of youths navigating a world saturated with misleading information from pro-drug narratives. We believe that this generation of youths has the ability to think critically and this new campaign is a call for them to exercise that cognitive ability to glean information and come to decisions that truly resonate with them and their generation. Across the next three years, CNB hopes to empower youths and key stakeholders to become more competent in effective conversations: conversations that have the ability to prevent others from forming an inclination towards drug abuse, and conversations that offer support to those who may be vulnerable to the influence of drugs” said Director of Communications, CNB, Ms Audrey Ang.
The campaign complements existing Preventive Drug Education (PDE) initiatives2, undertaken by CNB and the wider DrugFreeSG community, amplifying their impact, with an aim to establish a refreshed social compact for a drug-free Singapore over the next three years.
| 2 CNB’s upcoming activities DFSG Video Competition – “Are we Uninfluenced”March-September 2025 Drug Victims’ Remembrance Day May 2025 |
About The Escape Room Experience
As part of the Central Narcotics Bureau’s (CNB) “Uninfluenced” campaign, “The Trip: What Happened in Larspura?” is an interactive escape room experience designed to engage youths in a thought-provoking exploration of the influences that shape perceptions of drug abuse.
What Happened in Larspura?
Set on the exclusive island of Larspura, this specially designed game experience invites participants to uncover the hidden secrets in what appears to be promoted as an idyllic paradise escape for Singaporeans.
Larspura is supposed to be a dream getaway for Ben and his friends. But what started as a fun escape quickly took a turn they never expected. Now, in “The Trip: What Happened in Larspura?” participants will uncover the truth behind Ben’s experience — how peer pressure, misinformation, and the normalisation of drugs through popular culture influenced his choices. Through this journey, they will confront the same challenges shaping youths’ perspectives on drugs today and learn how to make informed, drug-free decisions.
What to Expect in The Escape Room
| Room Name | Details |
| The Birthday Party |   Synopsis: A notification pings. Your Larspura group chat, silent for months, flickers back to life. It’s your friend Ben inviting you to his birthday party. Reunite with him and the rest of the crew to uncover the truth about their ‘legendary’ trip.Key Takeaway: Through peer pressure, negative influence could be exerted on another. However, when applied correctly, it can be positive. This room immerses participants in an environment which mirrors a real life scenario, to encourage participants to reflect on the positive and negative sides of peer pressure/influence. Debrief Activity: The debrief activity invites participants to reflect on their ability in being positive influences on their friends. By inviting them to consider both the types of friends they can be, as well as the actions they can take to help their peers, the activity aims to empower participants and raise awareness that they can help their friends who are in vulnerable positions, to prevent them from making harmful choices such as abusing drugs. |
| Ben’s Brain |   Synopsis: You heard that the Ben you once knew is gone. In his place, a hollow shell haunted by the ghosts of Larspura. A prisoner of his own mind, trapped in a labyrinth of forgotten memories and shattered dreams. Step into the depths of Ben’s brain, piece together the fragments of what happened that trip, and set him free.Key Takeaway: Our experiences shape our opinions and the choices we make. This includes our views on drugs and drug abuse. The game features experiences such as the places we visit and challenging phases in our lives which can shape our views on drugs and make us vulnerable. However, when we are aware of the influences that surround us, we can learn to stay away from influences that might lead us to form unhealthy habits. Debrief Activity: Participants will watch the video from Ben’s Brain showing the full story of what happened in Larspura. Thereafter, we invite them to reflect through a life-mapping activity which encourages them to consider personal experiences that were highs and lows in their life. This activity seeks to heighten participants’ self-awareness on significant events in their lives that have shaped their perceptions on issues in life, including their views on drug abuse. |
| Operation Larspura |   Synopsis: Beneath the holiday picture perfect facade of the paradise island Larspura lies a dark secret. One that has ensnared countless Singaporean holiday goers including Ben. Your mission as an undercover agent: infiltrate the island, collect intelligence, and expose the truth behind it.Key Takeaway: This game was designed as a fictional reflection of how the drug trade today creates demand and supply for its drugs. It exposes the marketing playbook of Big Cannabis industry, with intent to help participants consider if they verify sources of information, or whether their thoughts and opinions may be influenced through information they consume. Highlighting macro-level influences such as marketing (e.g. otter as mascot) and pop-culture or trends (e.g. influencers) that contribute to the normalisation and spread of drug use, we hope that participants are more aware of the subtle ways they are influenced. Debrief Activity: The Operation Larspura debrief activity seeks to drive home the message of deceptive marketing, which is a big problem today, particularly in the cannabis industry. Through mock documents mirroring actual brand and marketing strategies which have normalised drug abuse, the activity seeks to nudge participants to consider the accuracy of the information they consume in real life. |
Event Details & Booking Information
Date: 28 February – 6 March 2025
Location: Stamford Arts Centre
Price: Free
Opening Hours:
- Weekdays: 12:15 PM – 9:00 PM
- Weekends: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
For more information and booking of tickets, visit visitlarspura.com.
National integrated marketing campaign launching from March 2025
Following the on-ground activation the “Uninfluenced” campaign will continue with a national integrated marketing campaign that continues to draw attention to the power of negative influences in manipulating views on drugs. Through mass advertising, social and digital content, the campaign uses thought-starters to encourage discussion and reflection on the power of influences in cultivating permissive attitudes towards drugs. The ultimate goal is to encourage youths and the general public to be aware of these influences, learn how to navigate through them to protect themselves and others and empower youths and key stakeholders to engage in effective conversations that not only protects individuals from the temptations of drug abuse, but also spark conversations that offer support to those who may be vulnerable to the influence of drugs.