He’s a millionaire, admired the world over as a superhero and star.

Her power vocals scooped up music awards and landed her a spot as an X-Factor judge.

Legions of swooning fans followed his band wherever they went.

But even the fame and wealth that life afforded to Robert Downey Jr, Demi Lovato and BigBang’s T.O.P did not save them from being sucked down the rabbit hole of drugs.

Despite their glamorous lives in front of the camera, numerous stars have battled drug abuse and addiction behind the scenes. Often beginning with smoking weed (marijuana), many then progressed to other drugs such as cocaine and acid, with their stories finishing in rehabilitation centres, jail, or death.

It’s 'cool', ‘cos Hollywood says so

Today, stars continue to write music about the trippy and “high” effects of taking drugs. Popular songs referencing drug abuse include “Diamonds” (Rihanna), “We Can’t Stop” (Miley Cyrus) and “Can’t Feel My Face” (The Weeknd).

Other celebrities post pictures of themselves taking drugs on Instagram, which garner "likes" from millions.

Drug-related videos are also rife across TikTok. Content under #TripTok and #snifftok show people recording the things they do while high on drugs, in the hope of going viral. Others flex how they have not experienced any negative effects of drug use.

Movies and films, too, show characters casually taking drugs without experiencing any downsides, enthralling youths with how edgy it seems.

“There are many mixed messages about drugs today, where people may get influenced by a variety of narratives,” says Dr Tracy Loh, a member of the National Council Against Drug Abuse (NCADA). The council’s latest campaign explores the challenges and choices relating to drug abuse that youths may realistically encounter.

Ex-drug abuser in Singapore, Adam (not his real name), told The Straits Times in March, “I did acid for the first time because I was stupid, didn’t know better and thought I was the main character in Skins.” Skins is a British TV show that also explores teenage drug use.

Adam was also influenced by a book featuring teenage characters using drugs.

Former Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association counsellor Ambiga K.S. previously told The Straits Times about a 27-year-old who started using heroin because his role model was American alternative rock band Nirvana’s lead singer, Kurt Cobain.

"He didn't find a role model in his family, so he started following the trend of Kurt Cobain and went into drugs, and also to enjoy the sensation in the music," she said.

The filters come off

Thanks to social media, young people today have easy access to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, including celebrities taking drugs such as marijuana.

Such content normalises drug abuse and portrays it as fun – but the downsides, naturally, aren’t shown.

“Behind the glamour, drug abuse has destroyed the lives of many, and even caused a number of celebrities to die from overdose,” Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development, previously said in an article by The Straits Times.

Referring to misperceptions that marijuana is less harmful than other types of drugs because it has been legalised in certain countries, Associate Professor Faishal pointed out that there is evidence linking regular marijuana use to health problems, particularly in young people.

He also highlighted the risks of drug taking being normalised on popular media, as Singapore youth are now looking at the situation with different eyes. According to a survey conducted in 2020 by the NCADA, young people’s support for Singapore’s zero-tolerance approach towards drugs was 82.5 per cent, compared with 88.3 per cent for those above the age of 30.

Meanwhile, according to a survey of 1,055 Singapore residents by public opinion company YouGov done in collaboration with The Straits Times, about one in four people aged 18 to 24 felt marijuana was not harmful.

More are also experimenting with drugs: 60 per cent of new abusers nabbed by Singapore authorities in 2021 were aged 30 and under. According to reports by The Straits Times, Telegram chats have emerged as a channel where people can obtain illegal drugs easily.

Between 2021 and 2022, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) arrested over 80 suspected drug offenders and seized drugs worth some $160,000 in island-wide operations targeted at drug transactions conducted on encrypted chat apps like Telegram.

Social media can also serve as a form of indirect marketing that creates more opportunities for people to buy drugs, warns Dr Olivia Choy, assistant professor of psychology at NTU’s School of Social Sciences.

She adds that being exposed to more drug-related content on social media can lead to higher risk of drug abuse.

“Just as with alcohol and cigarettes, frequent exposure to substance abuse content could lead to a misconception that this is normal and acceptable,” Dr Choy says.

“New drug users may rely on social media for validation, or engage in more risky behaviour as they anticipate approval from their peers.”

But youths who experiment with drugs because of what they see on social media often find themselves caught unaware of the downsides that aren’t portrayed: addiction, depression, permanent organ damage and a loss of self-control.

Other impacts include lower IQ, severe paranoia, adverse cardiovascular problems and isolation from friends and family.

“It is critical that we teach our youths to be discerning,” says NCADA’s Dr Loh. “They can then judge for themselves, make clear choices, and help others too, by voicing out against misinformation about drugs.”

Ms Ambiga, the former counsellor, said that once youths are properly educated about the risks of drug abuse, it is harder for them to identify with drugs or any negative influence.

As for Mr Thomas Koh, a former drug abuser, his advice is that “no man is an island”. “Learn to support each other,” says the assistant counsellor at the National Addictions Management Service.

Indeed, friends are what helped save Adam. After abusing marijuana as a young teen, he moved on to other drugs like acid, cocaine, ketamine and MDMA, popping pills every weekend. He tried to commit suicide several times, until his friends reached out.

“[They] saw how much I was spiralling,” he said. “We all decided to stay sober together.”

As Adam’s story shows, positive influences and community support are key tools to staying away from drugs.

Another way to stay fully informed of risks is to set up a more balanced social media newsfeed by following factual accounts that address the lows of drug abuse (CNB’s @cnb.drugfreesg, for one, busts common drug myths with evidence-based scientific research).

This way, youths avoid the classic trap of seeing only life’s highs, and thinking that’s all there is to reality.