Prevalence and Perception of Drug Abuse Among the Youths(18 to 35) in Ikorodu LGA
Chapter One
MAJOR OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of drugs abused by youths in Nigeria
- To find out the drugs that is commonly abused by youthsin Nigeria.
- To find out the implications for youthsinvolvement on drug abuse.
- To identify of this study also aims at looking at some of the measures aimed at eradicating the drug abuse problem among youthsin Nigeria.
- To ascertain the reasons why drugs are been abused by the youthsin Nigeria.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Drug is any chemical be it liquid, solid (amphioxus) or gas derived from organic substances or inorganic substances. It might be traditional or orthodox which is used for the internal and external application in or on the human body in treatment of diseases or to induce calmness, reduce pains or modify the functions of the various systems of the body. Falownyo (1982) defines drugs abused as any substance other than the normal food, which by is chemical nature affects the structure and function of the body system of a living organism especially man.
Zoka (1989) says since learning is a behavioural change, drug abuse, which evolve fro experience is therefore a learned and practical behaviour. He sees drug as reinforcement and hold that evidence from chemical studies, which reveals that certain drugs provide inherent gratification. Drugs as reinforcement and holds that evidence from chemical studies, which reveals that certain drugs provide inherent gratification. According to Pela (1982) drug is any chemical substance that has effect upon the body or mind by modifying one of its functions. He also defined drug as any substance taken which maybe injuries to health.
Smith (1979) reported that intravenous administration of pleasurable drug produce immediate and intense physical pleasure described as a whole body organism and often called “Flus”. Heroine produces the same effects and if such pleasure is desirable, the individual will soon learn to maintain such pleasurable state by reporting behaviour which can then lead to drug abuse.
Efobi (1983) divide the drugs that youth usually abuse into four namely:
- The piates
- Euphoric drugs
- Hypnotic
- Alcohol and cigarettes, which the layman to.
According to him, what is amazing is that doctors, pharmacists, nurses and medical workers who know the harmful effects of alcohol and cigarettes smoking continue to consume these drugs in large quantities. The levelification according to him of people who are likely to develop drug dependency is as follows:
- People who have problems and need drugs to sleep or lighten their.
- Medical workers who have access to such drugs
- People of advancing age who usually experience aches and pains.
- People who are genuinely ill and were treated with such in the hospital.
Uzoka (1981) suggested that social disorganization and consequence of rapid urbanization have a link with the social malaise. He illustrated this by saying that ‘with this new demand for various achievements for examples academic achievement” be also said that since our school system had failed to provide options of achievements for the population who are not academically inclined, that opportunity should exist outside the four walls of the school for attaining excellence were clearly spelt out.
Anago (1982) emphasized on the narrow scope of military during the war, where strict legislation was passed and enforced. The amphetamine epidemic in these countries rapidly subsided, communist charier claims to have abolished both alcoholism and opiate addiction through strict government regulation and enforcement. In Nigeria, during the Buhari/Idiagbon regime, cases of persons involved in drug trafficking were revisited with capital punishment. This presumably led to rapid reduction in hard drug and use.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH DESIGN
This is also designed to collect useful information by use of questionnaires and non-participant. Observation method on the effect of drug abuse on the healthy academic performance of students in school and the role teachers can play in controlling drug abuse. Both structured and unstructured (open-ended) questions were used in this study. The essence was to give the respondents the opportunity of answering and expressing their own view or opinion on the effect of drug among the students to the investigation. The oral interview had both structured and unstructured questions. It was meant to gather more information which were not concluded in this questionnaires.
SAMPLE AND SAMPLING METHOD
The sampling method used for the study was cluster sampling method, the method of questionnaires distributed to youths were 390 (three hundred and ninety). Those duly completed and returned were two hundred in number. In all the school visited, a level was taken for administration. Names in the register were also considered as they were selected alphabetically.
The questionnaires were distributed to the four various methods with an average study of fifty questionnaires to each school bearing in mind the unequal population of those university.
METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
This basic instrument for data collection to be used by the researcher to obtain information from the public is the questionnaires. Visitation to university and observation will be employed. The questionnaires is divided into two sections to cover the scope of study and to provide adequate span with regard to the objective and null hypothesis in this study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS
This chapter is concerned with the analysis, the interpretation and discussion of result of the research carried out, was to find out drug abuse and its health implications among the youths(18 to 35) in ikorodu LGA. One hundred and fifty two questionnaires were administered to one hundred and fifty two students.
The total respondents for this research questionnaire therefore, stood at one hundred and forty five (145) respondents with seven (7) questionnaires un-administered.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
SUMMARY
The investigation carried out on drug abuse were aimed at finding the extent of drug problems among students in university, the cause of such involvement, the drugs commonly used, the nature of students involved, their general attitude towards drug use. From the analysis majority of the respondents agree that drug abuse is the use of drug without medical or practitioners directives, while few believed that drug abuse is defined as excessive use of drug by a person such use being considered to be illegal immoral by culture and also resulting in harm to the person or society.
Based on these investigations, it has been discovered that drugs are abused these days due to depression and pressure from peer group to experience a temporary sense of well being. Other personal reasons given are the belief that drug can solve problems. Provide enjoyment to overcome peer group pressure, provide the opportunity for the youth top taste what their mates are doing so as to feel high.
Drug commonly taken by students include alcohol, cigarette, kola nuts and Indian hemp (lambia) which from investigation are mainly gotten from friends. They take these drugs mostly during examination or when they are with friends. However, majority of them take these drugs to relieve their burden and pains as well as to be bold and happy. Some of the effects of drug abuse from investigation are mental illness, sleeplessness, and lack of concentration, irritability, boldness and aggressiveness. These are what the user feels or experience when these drugs are taken. Various ways or methods in controlling or curbing drug abuse among youths include referring servile case to mental healthy department educating them on the effect of drug on their performances in leveles as well as bringing in health professionals to deliver lectures on drug abuse club. “Drug free club should be formed in university in order to inculcate in the use of some self discipline”.
CONCLUSION
From the look of things, it will be accepted that there is probably no way we can suddenly eradicate drug use among students in our university. However, the problem can be reduced through educating the students on the effect of drug abuse, its effect on their performance, which reduces unpleasant experiences and control indiscipline amongst them.
Also parents and teachers have a large role to play as they are close to the students, they should help by working hand in hand with each other by paying more attention to their students, watching them closely in their behaviour, activities and attitude and make necessary correction along the line to be of good behaviour.
In another way, the mass media have a role to play in the development and correction of the child. They should not sit on the fence; they must take greater responsibility to reduce the use and abuse of drug amongst students. The mass media such as the radio, television, some time in 1990 featured a programme on drug abuse, thereby increasing the awareness of the people to see a doctor for their ailment instead of embarking on self medication.
RECOMMENDATION
After collecting analysis and summarizing the findings of this research work, the following recommendations were made;
That education should be entrenched into the nations university and primary school curriculum. This is to ensure that before the opportunity to sample drugs is available to the students, they are already aware of the implications, hazards and dangers of addictions through systematic level studies.
The parents should set themselves up as good model for the young ones to emulate. It was found out during the course of study that parents are the greatest and most efficient embodiment of all the bad and wrong doing especially in the area of drugs life, alcohol, cigarette, when these are done in the presence of the students with complete relish and in total abandonment without an atom of respect of decency or decorum the students are bound to copy.
The government should not only legislate several laws and penalties for drug offenders but should ensure that adequate measures are taken to the effect. There should not be any loophole through which defaulters can slip through fast free. The alternatives of drug control to students are that, level and home work, should be given to students while still in university.
Apart from giving them enough level and home work to do, the school authority should follow through these assignments to make sure that the students really carry out this assignment which are indeed amongst other things halved towards suitable utilization of leisure time.
I wish to recommend also that students should be encouraged to form and become members of useful level in school or community. This would be adequate redirection endeavours. If these recommendations are followed to the latter we can say that we are facing the drug problem realistically.
REFERENCES
- Dota Cluzea (1999). “Drug abuse” Thursdays daily times. April 25th pp 7.
- Olatawura (1974). ‘The prevalence of drug taking among youths. A pilot study. Pp. 1-35.
- Pela, O. A. (1982). Dynamics of drug use in Nigeria, A handbook of the Nigeria training course on drug dependence, Benin City. Pp. 66-122
- Smith, E. (1969). “Methamphetamine abuse” International Journal of addiction.
- Uduehi, c. O. (1982). An overview of drug use and misuse in Nigeria school. Health Journal. Vol.4, No. 1, pp 22-29.
- Uzorka, A. F. (1980). Drug abuser (Benin) March 18th.
- Uzorka, F. (1983). Drug dependence volume 1. 1983, Benin City.
- www.Google.Com: effect of drug abuse on youths in the fast growing world and ways of control pp. 323.45
