Researchers interviewed 21 teachers and school leaders across 16 government schools in Chennai to understand how substance use actually appears in real school settings. The core finding overturns decades of conventional wisdom: teenagers who were using substances were still coming to school regularly—what researchers call the "Attendance Paradox."
This challenges the assumption many Singapore parents hold. If your child is at school every day with steady grades, you might feel confident everything is fine. This study suggests that assumption isn't safe.
Why Teens Are Hiding Substance Use Better Than Before
Several shifts are making it easier for teenagers to use substances while staying in school. First, they're moving toward smokeless tobacco pouches and inhalants that leave fewer traces and are simpler to conceal. During and after the pandemic, masks made hiding these products at school even easier.
Second, smartphones have become coordination tools. Peer networks around substance use are now happening in private WhatsApp messages, TikTok chats, and closed messaging apps—completely invisible to parents and teachers who are only watching in-person behaviour.
Schools May Not Tell You What They Know
Teachers recognise that family instability often reflects financial hardship rather than poor parenting. Some worry that strict discipline or immediate parent notification will push struggling students out of school entirely, making them more vulnerable to harmful peer groups. This means schools may handle substance concerns more quietly than you'd expect, without telling you directly.
What to Watch For Instead of Attendance
Since going to school regularly is no longer a reliable signal, focus on subtler changes. Look for mood shifts, new friendship groups you haven't met, secretive phone behaviour, unexplained absences from specific classes (rather than whole school days), or sudden shifts in energy and interest. Regular conversations about their school day—specific classes, who they're spending time with—matter more than checking an attendance record.
Three Steps Based on What Schools Found
- Watch for behaviour changes beyond attendance: mood swings, phone secrecy, new friend groups, or class-specific absences.
- Build a trusting relationship now, before problems emerge, so your teen feels safe being honest about peer pressure and substance exposure.
- Check in regularly about specific people and places at school, since substance coordination now happens invisibly on messaging apps.