The Causes and Effect of Smoking on the Academic Performance of Students
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The main objective of this study is to find out the causes and effect of smoking on students academic performance in Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo state State.
Specifically, the study will seek to find out:
- The effectof smoking on students‘ social behaviour, compared to non their smokers.
- The effect ofmarijuana smoking on students‘ academic performance, compared to non their smokers.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Conceptual framework
Concept of smoking
According to Johnson (2004), smoking through out history is still the same till date. smoking is widely spread among adolescents and young adults. The percentage of middle school students smoking marijuana increased throughout the early 1990s. Johnson (2004)
Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), a system for monitoring the health impact of drugs estimated that, in 2002, marijuana was a contributing factor in over 119,000 emergency department (ED) visit in the United States with about 15 percent of the patients between the age of 12 and 17, and almost two-thirds male. He also said that the national institute of Justices Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program, which collects data on the number of adult arrestees testing positive for various drugs, found that, on average, 41 percent adult male students arrestees and 27 percent adult female students arrestees tested positive for marijuana. On the average, 57 percent of juvenile male and 32 percent of juvenile female arrestees tested positive for marijuana.
According to Stitzer (1997), when some one smokes marijuana, the substance in it called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) rapidly passes from lungs into the bloodstream, which carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain. In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and thereby influences the activity of those cells. Many Cannabinoid receptors are found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, sensory and time perception, and coordinated movement.
Tashkin (1990); when marijuana is smoked by youth, its effects begins immediately after the substance enters the brain and lasts from 1-3 hours. If marijuana is consumed in food or drink, the short-term effects begins more slowly, usually in ½ to 1 hour, and lasts longer, for as long as 4 hours. Smoking of marijuana is more severe and it deposits several times into the blood stream than does eating or drinking the drug. Within a few minutes after taking marijuana smoke, an adolescent‘s or user‘s heart begins to beat more rapidly; the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. He also opined that the heart bit of marijuana smoker is normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, but it reduces by 20 to 50 beats per minute, when smoking of marijuana is done. This effect can be greater if other drugs are taken with marijuana. Tashkin (1990) said that immediately THC enters the brain, it causes the smokers to feel euphoric or ―high‖ by acting in the cognition, areas of the brain that respond to stimuli such as food and drink. THC activates the reward system in the same way that nearly all smokers do, by stimulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine. Young students, who are involved in smoking, with this toxidity or reaction, usually become withdrawn and isolated.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Design of the Study
The design of the study was Ex-post Factor. According to Ezeh (2005), Ex-post Factor research is a systematic empirical inquiry in which the scientist does not have direct control on independent variable because they are inherently not manipulable. The purpose of exposé factor studies, was to find out the factors that seem to be closely associated with certain behaviours occurrence, prevalence‘s or conditions.
The researcher deemed it wise to adopt this design because, the researcher was not in full control of a major variable, smoking which predicted the study, but in finding out the cause effect relationship. The study seeks to elicit information on effect of smoking on students‘ academic performance.
Area of the Study
This study was conducted in Akoko Edo L.G.A. of Edo state. Edo State is made up of eighteen (18)
Local Government Areas. Akoko Edo commanded my choice for this study because of the perceived smoking activities among secondary school students, deviant behavior, armed robbery, school drop-out and cultism.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
Social-demographic data of respondents
The demographic data obtained in the study from the students is analysed using frequency and percentage. This is presented as follows.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion of the Findings
The researcher found out that the effect of smoking on students social behaviour is demonstrated and exhibited due to changes in environment and school climate. This behaviour occurs in diverse styles and dimension which includes differing stress, joblessness, peer pressure and parental background. The above finding agree with the view of Graham‘s (1973) who noted that, smoking students ordinarily enjoyed Cannabis which suffer him dizziness tremor, disoriented and becoming stupous in an environment.
The findings also agree with Isabel, (1971) who observed that interaction with marijuana smokers revealed a continuous increases in its smoker by students, that result to frustration and difficulty in fulfilling ethics of the society. The National Institute on drug Abuse (2005) opines that, environmental life style has regulate him on smoking marijuana which cause burning and stinging of the mouth, throat and often accompanied by a heavy cough.
Influence of smoking on students social behaviour, the researcher discovered that experimentation of emulating or adapting behaviour may en-croach individual into full participation of a learned behaviour. Base on this fact, most of these subjects in the area found their feet in so many aspect of life. The researcher observed that, drug use, truancy armed rubbery, delinquencies and examination malpractices are among the social behaviour exhibited by students. Steinberg (1996) stated that, externalizing social behaivour and internalizing social behaviour are observable behaviour commonly developed and learned among young students in secondary school which are negatively to the sustainability in life style. Eze (2005) also observed that some depressed students can also resort to smoking and become delinquents in behaviour. Eze (2005) opines that many youngsters indulge in smoking as way of fulfilling their sense of belonging to peer group.
The researcher also discovered that smoking does influence students academic performance. The finding were in agreement with the views of Dewey (1999) that smoking is a risk factor for academic problems such as lower grades, absenteeism and high dropout rates. smoking interferes with students ability to think, making learning and concentration more difficult. Elliot (1978) said that evidence is clear that poor school performance, truancy, leaving school at young age are connected to smoking by students Elliot (1978) still observed that early aggressive behaviour usually lead to difficulties in the classroom.
Gottfredson (1987) suggested that schools should include programmes designed which shall improve students social behaviour and academic performance. Dishion (1999) said that students who have poor academic planning may find themselves with so much problems to read few days to their examination. They take marijuana to keep them awake of night or to forget the anxiety and fears of the examination.
Again, an interesting study was done by Crowely (1980), observed the influence of smoking and academic performance on secondary school students.
Conclusion
The findings of this study have some implication for the government, parents teachers, educational psychologist, as well as the students themselves. The finding showed that there are behavoural pattern of life which are exhibited by students due to environmental changes. The citation of school or location of school in remote environment on the part of government has contributed to many of these students involvement in smoking. Some of their behaviour is disoriented, tremor, dizziness and warming.
It is also observed from the finding that, poor perception, disorientation and action of many parents towards their children and wards at home were not properly groom s a result they find themselves is smoking marijuana. Therefore, the idea of organizing seminars and conference by the government, schools, churches and concerned stakeholders will helps in changing the behaviour of students smoker and parent action.
Another important implication of the finding is that, many student who smoke marijuana experience academic problem by getting lower grades in school, absenteeism and high dropout rates from school. Ability to think or having good concentration in learning is finding to be a difficult problem to these smokers. Teachers and counselors in schools should be reinforced of this students differences and treat them with love and caution.
Recommendation
Based on the finding of this study, the following recommendations are made:
That the government, school administration and churches should organize seminars and conference for the parents on how environment has a vital role play in children up-bringing, they should regularly spell out-those things that will enable them to be responsible or hold their personality high and things that will not sabotage their personality.
That the teachers and schools administrator, and all concerned should remain aware of the individual differences of these students and do well to work with them effectively and efficiently.
That the students should know that only hard work produces success in life and try harder of their school work in order to achieve success and become responsible citizens worthy of emulation by others, not to interfere with smoking or bad gang that will result to frustration and difficulty in fulfilling ethic of the society.
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