CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Â Â BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
According to Bello (2010), drug addiction is defined as the uncontrollable, obsessive use of a drug, which includes not just intoxication but also the avoidance of withdrawal symptoms. While drug abuse is defined as the intentional use of drugs for reasons other than those for which they were prescribed without the supervision of a physician or medical practitioner, drug addiction is defined as the use of drugs for purposes other than those for which they were prescribed (Kobiowu, 2008).
Despite the unwavering efforts of people, organizations, the media, and the government at all levels to combat drug addiction, the prevalence of the practice among post-primary school students, teens, and even adults in the community has not reduced, but rather has increased (charles, 2008). Drug abuse/addiction has resulted in many of the health issues and risks in our society. Mental disease, lung cancer, school dropouts, juvenile misbehavior, delirious behavior, and other health issues are examples. The growing occurrence of mental disease in today’s society/streets, with drug addiction as a significant leading cause, is a cause for concern (David, 1989).
No surprise, the factors leading to the victims’ exposure are quite common, such as the consumption of dangerous drugs during cultural and other festivities, either at schools or at home, during sports or athletic competitions among students, as these students exposed themselves to drug abuse students involvement. Cultism cannot be questioned since some people engage in irrational behavior. According to Bello (2010), students’ use of drugs for the purpose of alertness during examinations is also fairly widespread. Also, the adolescent years are a time for chasing the opposite sex, which most of them are unable to achieve without the usage of drugs to help them become brave (Mickey, 1994). Drug abuse among post-primary school kids, which leads to addiction. Gradually proceeds to produce lots of  bad things in our society, such as an increase in the number of road traffic accidents as a result of these drugs’ consequences. In fact, some students have nervous breakdowns during exams, resulting in failure and eventual dropout, while others become rude and arrogant toward teachers and parents, causing riots and chaos in their schools on occasion, and still others grow up to become criminals in society, ending up in prison yards (Mickey, 1994).
Drug addiction, according to Bello (2008), is defined as a person’s inability to regulate his or her use of a drug or substance. He went on to say that drug consumption is more than a habit for an addict; his need for the drug also entails physical dependency, meaning that if he quits using the drug, he would experience a severe withdrawal syndrome. According to Mickey (1994), the majority of persons with addiction issues are dependent on alcohol or narcotic substances, based on findings from the literature. While David (1989) said that when addicts are deprived of their drugs, they suffer from a withdrawal syndrome characterized by observable indications of misery such as weight loss, cardiovascular abnormalities, and gastrointestinal distress, as well as mental conditions and seizures in some cases of alcoholism.
1.2Â Â Â Â STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The researcher was prompted to conduct this scholarly work on the consequences of drug addiction on academic performance among secondary school students in Government Secondary school Kaduna State Nigeria, due to the high rate of mental misbehavior and excessive irrational acts of students in our society (Charles, 2008).
1.3Â Â OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The following are the study’s objectives:
i. To identify the substances/drugs that secondary school students in Government Secondary school Kaduna State Nigeria abuse or are addicted to.
ii. To determine the reasons of drug addiction in secondary school students.
iii. To examine the effects of drug usage and addiction on students’ academic performance.
iv. To investigate prospective drug addiction prevention and treatment options for secondary school students in Government Secondary school Kaduna State Nigeria.
1.4Â Â Â Â RESEARCH QUESTIONS
i. What are the  substances/drugs that secondary school students in Government Secondary school Kaduna State Nigeria abuse?
ii. What are  the reasons of drug addiction in secondary school students?
iii. What are  effects of drug usage and addiction on students’ academic performance?
iv. What are the preventive measures for drug addiction and treatment options for secondary school students in Government Secondary school Kaduna State Nigeria?
