DRUG ABUSE AMONG FEMALE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN IBADAN

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ABSTRACT

Drug and Substance Abuse has been talked about worldwide and Nigeria is part of that globe. Teachers, parents, church officials and other stakeholders have been at the forefront trying to find out the causes and ways of controlling it.  Therefore, there is a need to curb this vice. This study aimed at finding out what makes female students abuse drugs and the effects that arise out of this practice with reference to Female Government schools in Ibadan. The study also suggested measures that can be taken to control drug and substance abuse. The study was guided by the following objectives; to establish the extent to which parent’s sources of income influence the prevalence of drug and substance abuse; determine how location of schools influence the prevalence of drug and substance abuse; establish the extent  to which school administration influences the prevalence of drug and substance abuse; establish how peer pressure influences abuse; investigate how drug abuse among secondary  school students determine their academic achievement. The target population was 6 female government secondary schools. The sample consisted of two hundred and sixty-eight students, six guidance and counseling teachers and six principals. Simple random sampling was used to select the students. Data was collected using questionnaires. The data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software programmed and presented using both qualitative and descriptive methods such as frequencies and percentages and presented as tables and figures. It was established that most students are driven into taking drugs by peer pressure. Poor performance is the greatest effect of drug abuse among drug taking students. The researcher recommended that all stakeholders be involved in curriculum review and reform to address drug abuse related issues and guidance and counseling sessions enhanced in changing student behavior. 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1Background to the Study

The term drug is defined as any substance that when absorbed into a living organism may modify one or more of its physiological functions. The term is generally used in reference to a substance taken for both therapeutic purpose and abused substances (Kwamanga, Odhiambo &Amukoye, 2003). Globally and even regionally, drug and substance abuse is an ever expanding problem and is recognized as a threat with serious effects on people’s health, security, social-economic and cultural welfare. In Nigeria, students have consistently shown that there is considerable prevalence of drug and substance use; with varying preference rates found for both overall and specific drug abuse (Abdulkarim, 2005). Some of these commonly abused substances include tobacco, Miraa (khat), bhang, alcohol, cocaine, mandrax and heroine (NACADA, 2006).

Drugs pose a very big problem in the world today and it is ruining the lives of many millions of people both in adolescent and general population. The use of illegal drugs has spread at a high rate and has penetrated every part of the world. No nation has been spared from the devastating problem caused by drugs and substance abuse. Trafficking of hard drugs the role of the international organization for migration in preventing human trafficking in west africa: a case study of ghana into developing countries has not spared Nigeria the drug consumption and dependence among secondary and college students and has led to unrest and consequently wide ranging destruction of life and property (Ngesu, Ndiku&Masese, 2008).Factors influencing students to drug use have been identified among them parental influence whereby it has been noted that children from homes where parents take drugs tend to imitate their parents’ behaviors and by modeling they also start using drugs (Ngesu, et al 2008).