An Assessment of the Broadcast Media Campaign Against Drug Abuse in Nigeria
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
In the research statement, I highlighted some of the problems which called for the research. The objectives of this study thus include:
- To find out if drug abuse has increased crime rate in Calabar Municipality.
- To investigate how far the mass media has gone in informing and educating the society about serious issues in Calabar Municipality.
- To evaluate its assessment in the role it has played in the campaign against drug abuse in Calabar Municipality.
- To find out the impressions people have about drug abuse in Calabar Municipality.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
THE REVIEW OF STUDIES
United Nations secretary General Kofi Annan observes “Drugs are tearing apart our societies, spawning crime, spreading diseases such as AALDS and killing our youth and our future. Today there are estimates 190 million drugs were around the world. No country is immune. And alone, no country can hope to stem the drug trade within its borders. The globalization of the drug trade requires an international response”. To make matters worse, in recent years designers drugs (a drug with a slightly attired chemical structure, often produced to evade restrictions on illegal narcotics or hallucinogens) have entered the scene. These synthetic chemical are designed to give the consumer a high or a euphoric feeling. Since designer drugs can be manufactured cheaply almost anywhere, police forces are practically powerless to control them. In 1977 the United nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs warned that in many countries these synthetic drugs have become part of “mainstream consumers culture” and that they must be viewed as a “formidable” threat to international society in the next century. The newer drugs are no less potent than their predecessors. Crack cocaine is even more addictive than cocaine. New strains of canneries have greater hallucinogenic effects and a new designer drug called “ICE” may be among the most destructive of all.
With good reason, at a United Nations Conference Nasser Bin Hamad Al-khalifa, from Qatar warned that “the global village is about to become a communal tomb for millions of human beings as a result of the illicit drugs trade” Like the dry not the eats away the wooden beams of a house, drugs can corrode the whole structure of society. For human society to function properly, it must have stable families, healthy workers, trustworthy government, honest police and law abiding citizens. Drugs corrupt every one of these fundamental elements. One reason government have banned non-medicaldrug use it eh damage that it does to the health of their citizens. Every years thousands for drug addicts die of an overdose. Many more die of AIDS. Indeed some 22 percent the world HIV positive population are drug users who injected themselves with infected needles.
Although drug users may be in the minority, their numbers are sufficient to grant immense power to the drug barons, the men who Organize the production and distribution of drugs. These unscrupulous individuals run a racket that has become the most lucrative and practically the biggest business on earth. Drug deals may now account for about 8 percent of all international trade. As drug money moves around the world, it enriches gangsters, corrupts police forces, greases palms of politicians and even finance terrorism.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
RESEARCH METHOD
Osuala (1987) argues that research is simply the process of arriving at dependable solution to a problem, through the planned and systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of data while Obodoze (1996) posts that research is a process of finding out the solution to a problem.
Therefore according to the above assertion, research method entails a process, in order words it is procedural and a definite method employed of adopted to arrive at a dependable solution or understandable conclusion based on data collected, analysed and interpreted.
The research method used of this research was the survey method. This is because the survey research is the best method to study a population too large to observe directly for either descriptive, exploratory or explanatory studies. Careful sampling of respondents and structured questionnaires provide data in the same form from all respondents.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The researcher intends to share out questionnaires to respondents and also tocollect his data from interviews with people. The researcher will also collect data from, publications too. This involves the researcher using the survey research in order to get a sample of the population for the study. Interviews, questionnaires and publications were used for data collection and stables were used for the data analysis.
RESEARCH SAMPLE
It is practically difficult to take into my study all the media houses in the country so media houses in Calabar metropolis were used. Consequently, a sample of the population of Calabar was taken for the study.
According to Yaro Yamani (1964) to determine a sample from a population.
n = N
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
DATA ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the data collected from both primary and secondary sources were presented and analysed.
A total of 200 questionnaires were distributed out of these 180 were returned. 10 were wrongly completed and so discarded, only 170 were used for the researchers analytical purpose.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
SUMMARY
From this research, it can be seen that the people believe that the mass media perform their functions of educating, informing and entertaining the masses effectively. The mass media is a powerful means of communication. It provides education for its numerous audience. This includes political and cultural education, health and technological education. The mass media is used in disseminating vital information to the public in general. Through news broadcast, vital information disseminated for the interest of the public.
It was also seen that drug abuse is a serious matter in the country because many people including children are involved in this act. According to the Whitney Young Information Resources Centre, almost all the states in Nigeria are found abusing drugs.
CONCLUSION
Drug abuse has now reached an alarming proportion within the society. Report shows that about seventy percent of patients attending Neuro-psychiatric hospitals today in Cross River State are both Calabar South and Calabar Municipality. Also, 21.3 percent of those classified and admitted in psychiatric hospitals in nearby states following the use of marijuana were Northern Cross Riverians.
Reports also showed that there has been a sporadic increase in the rate of drug abuse among tax force on streets and students in Post primary Schools and consequently, school indiscipline (such as lateness to school, skipping classes, failure to complete assignments, armed robbery, burglary, high rate of road and fire accidents, juvenile delinquency and other societal ills. These problems have aroused great attention to so many well meaning Nigerians including students all making efforts to study and analyze factors and problems associated with drug abuse and at the end it could be said that the mass media heightens the campaign against drugs abuse in Calabar Municipality
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
The mass media should increase its efforts in the campaign against drug abuse. There should be more educational programmes shown on the television or broadcast on the radio to inform people more on drug abuse. There should be articles written extensively about drug abuse in our newspapers and magazines. Adverts about drug abuse should be shown on the television or put on bill boards on the roads.
The Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Food Drug administration and control and the National drug Law Enforcement Agency should also join hands in the fight against drug abuse in the country.
The federal government should also give these agencies and the mass media their full support in whatever campaign they intend carrying out. There should be more seminars and workshops and films concerning this issue of drug abuse in Nigeria.
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