Three teenage girls in Singapore aged 13 and 14, were arrested after they took drugs together, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Feb. 8.

The girls, a 14-year-old and two 13-year-old, admitted to abusing drugs together on "some occasions", CNB added.

CNB officers visited the residence of the 14-year-old girl on Feb. 6 and arrested her for suspected drug abuse.

A stained packet was recovered from her room.

Preliminary investigations revealed that she had "started abusing Ice when she was 13".

She last took drugs about a week before her arrest, investigations revealed.

On that occasion, she was at home with two friends taking crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice.

The two other girls were arrested at their residences.

CNB said one of the 13-year-old girls decided to join in to abuse Ice out of curiosity when she saw the other two girls doing so.

Drug-smoking apparatus and a black pouch for the apparatus were recovered from one of the 13-year-old girl arrested.

Investigations on all three girls are ongoing.

CNB added that the Institute of Mental Health's (IMH) 2022 Health and Lifestyle survey found that the mean age of onset of drug abuse was 15.9 years of age, while 41.8 per cent of those who abused drugs started before the age of 18.

The survey also found that the most common place to take drugs was one's own home or a friend's place and that "curiosity" was one of the main quoted reasons for drug abuse.

Top photo via CNB