The most powerful anti-drug message may start at the dinner table

In a commentary, SMU Senior Lecturer of Communication Management Dr Tracy Loh, Member of National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), and Tan Chong Huat, NCADA Chairman and senior partner of RHTLaw Asia, opined that personal, one-to-one conversations on drugs can be much more effective than broadcast messaging. Dr Loh and Mr Tan noted that one-to-one personal conversations carry a weight that broadcast messaging alone cannot replicate because they are specific, personal, and come from someone the listener trusts. They added that when youth feel safe discussing curiosity, peer pressure or uncertainty, parents are better placed to step in early before risks escalate.