When drug talk gets casual, CNB wants young people to speak up

This is one of the provocative questions at the heart of the Central Narcotics Bureau’s (CNB) Uninfluenced campaign, which is in its second year and aims to spark open conversations among youth.

The campaign uses an unscripted game show format to test and strengthen how young people respond to permissive drug talk in real time, while equipping them with practical tools to challenge casual comments, jokes and rationalisations that normalise drug use.

CNB aims to transform peers from passive bystanders into proactive allies, leveraging peer influence to encourage early intervention.

To bring these peer dynamics to life, CNB launched Pop My POV – with POV standing for “point of view” – a three-part YouTube game show series designed to test how youth navigate high-pressure social scenarios in real time.

It is hosted by Caitanya Tan and features influencers like Cavin Chua, Chow Jia Hui, Imran Shamer and Jayne Rajendran.

Recent survey findings from Uninfluenced show drug abuse prevention ranks third among the issues that youth in Singapore are most concerned about, with 78% saying they would step in to protect a friend from drugs.

However, barriers to action remain: 47% find it difficult to reject drugs in social settings with peers, while only 54% believe sharing their views on drugs can actively impact others.

The urgency of reaching young people early is further highlighted by CNB’s annual statistics for 2025, which show that approximately half of the more than 1,165 new drug abusers arrested were under the age of 30, with the youngest offender being just 12.

Rather than offering rigid or pre-scripted answers, each episode dives into a distinct real-world scenario. 

Episode one, “If drugs were legal, would you still say no?”, explores how legal frameworks shape personal choices and questions whether perceptions of drug abuse would change if drugs were legal.

Episode two asks the audience, “If your friend uses drugs, is it any of your business?”, tackling bystander apathy and highlighting how staying silent when friends rationalise taking drugs can inadvertently leave vulnerable peers at risk. 

Lastly, episode three, “If saying no makes you the party pooper, would you still do it?” examines the fear of social exclusion, unpacking how subtle peer pressure and group dynamics influence decisions. 

Said Kaye Chow, CNB’s deputy director of partnership and outreach at the DrugFreeSG Office: “Recognising permissive drug talk is an important first step, but real-life situations can be much more difficult to navigate, especially when those views come from friends or people we trust.”

She noted that although young people care for their peers, navigating real-world peer pressure requires actual practice.

“What we learnt from the first year of Uninfluenced is that youth want to look out for one another, but they also need opportunities to practise how they can respond when social pressure is involved.”

The format also resonated with participants on set.

“Seeing participants navigate different opinions during the game show made me realise how important it is to have open, honest conversations about drugs,” said audience member Priyanka Darshini.

“It encouraged me to reflect on how we can better listen to one another, speak up against permissive ideas and support our friends.”

Beyond the digital series, the campaign features interactive activities across schools and institutes of higher learning, using character-led posters featuring the four Uninfluenced Pals – Gut, Wit, Reason and Empathy.

The characters guide students to an online quiz at https://uninfluenced.sg/ to discover their unique influence style and learn practical strategies to protect their friends.