BARRIERS TO CONVERSATION
But starting these conversations is not easy for all parents. Some parents feel there is no immediate need, Mr Tan said. Others worry about saying the wrong thing or lacking enough knowledge about emerging drug trends.
Another common fear is that raising the subject may plant the idea in children’s minds about consuming drugs.
Dr Pamela Goh, a lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said parents sometimes fear that bringing up drugs could backfire.
But her research, which seeks to understand what facilitates or hinders parents from having anti-drug conversations with their children, found that how the topic is communicated matters.
Youths she interviewed said restrictive messaging can trigger their interest. “This emphasises that it is not the mere mention of drugs that should be of concern, but the nature of these conversations instead,” said Dr Goh.
Mr Bryan Soh, counsellor at Addictions Recovery Singapore, said cultural stigma surrounds drug use, where it is associated with gangs.
