CAUSES AND EFFECT OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

CAUSES AND EFFECT  OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

 ABSTRACT

The study focused on the causes of drug abuse among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Five research questions were raised and analyzed in order to accomplice the purpose of this study, while survey design method was used in the study. The population for the study was drawn from eight (8) public and private secondary schools. The one hundred (100) students sampled for the study were randomly selected using simple random sampling technique. The instrument used for the collection of data was the questionnaire, which has a test reliability of 0.75. The data collected were statistically analyzed using simple percentage. The findings of the study revealed that secondary school students in Oredo Local Government of Edo State engaged in drug abuse which led to anti-social behavior rampant

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Research over the past two decades has tried to determine how drug abuse begins and how it progresses from time immemorial, the use of drugs has always been associated with the existence of mans. In the earliest societies, man ahs always thought that disease was as a result of the gods being angry and to prevent or cure such diseases sacrifices were made. As society settled down in scattered settlements, they needed to keep their surrounding clean. This emphasis from the gods as the causative factors of diseases shifted to the environment. They discovered that disease were caused by pathogens.

Basically, medication were made from roots, herbs, leaves and other natural materials when they are identified or thought to have medicinal properties the use of these substance data back to early history. The ancient Egyptian for example were highly skilled in making and using medication for treatment for both external and internal infection. Most of the drugs we use today originated from nature are now produced synthetically legally manufacture drugs are produced under carefully controlled conditions. In this process, they are examined tested for standard and quality before being approved for sale and use. All drug when produced are manufactured specially for certain ailment or condition of certain people. Drug abuse has become a problem today to our secondary school students. It means the use of drugs of a non-medical or non-scientific purpose with the potentiality of harm to the user and to the locality.

From research, the task with witnessed are upsurge in the number of drug that are commonly abused by students in locality and the world at large. However, illicit drug use and abuse are rising among all sector of the population, not just the young. It has also been observed that population involved in the abuse and use of drug across social economic background and educational level as both the liberate and illiterate get involved and that secondary school students are most involved in drug abuse and even the female students. It is acting and sad amazement to note that secondary school students are mostly at risk of drug abuse who in Edo State make up a great portion of our population. It is observed that if drug abuse is rampant among this group of youths female leader of the locality may as well sink into a marshy from the research many students die every year of drug abuse. Illegal trade in drug is multi-billion dollar business which threatens to corrupt and destabilize the economy of many people. Also the degree of drug abuse is rather heightened with the involvement of primary pupils, secondary school students etc in the act. Furthermore, drug on its own is a chemical that influences or modifies the action of the body’s own chemistry in other words, it is any substance, which when taken modifies the body function or substance, when used affects the body and mind. It does this by changing the body’s function and or behaviour of the user. Unfortunately most of the students ignore such medical advice or direction but indulge in drug or misuse. It is important to note that drug abuse is not confined simply to the abuse of dangerous drugs like narcotics, opium, heroine etc but also the abuse of cocaine, panadol, antibiotic, laxative, kola nuts,, alcohol etc in other words even substance from food is a drug harmful or dangerous if not take properly. Drugs abuse arise when drug are being taken without medical prescription or in excess of prescribed dosage for example imagine anxious mother seeing that her child who has stomach pain, went and bought antibiotic syrups and gives to the child because such was prescribed for a friend child who has stomach pain and was very effective, we said that such person is guilty of drug abuse. Classification of drugs is as follows:

1. Stimulants such as tobacco, cocaine, kola nuts, coffee, cigarette etc.
2. Depressants hyporotic and sedatives such as alcohol, barbiturates etc.
3. Hallucinogens such as tetrahedral caunabina (cannabis)
4. Narcotics such as morphine, codeine, heroine etc.
5. Anxiolytic/tranquilizer such Benzodiazephine, diazepam such as popularly known as valium etc in order to reduce or prevent the rate of drug abuse among the students, the role of the teachers, parents, and government and guidance counsellors as well cannot be undermined.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS               

Drug abuse is a social problem that has assumed an unprecedented dimension in educational institutions especially among the secondary school students in Nigeria. The undergraduates in universities that are using and abusing drugs did not start immediately they entered the university. There is a starting point. This problem is considered an issue of serious concern as it adversely affects the lives and performance of students involved as well as harmonious functioning of the entire structure of the society. Drug abuse and other associated problems are inimical to the survival and effective functioning of human societies. Experience has shown that every drug addict in the street came from a family and started his or her drug voyage from a point, the home or the school. The society dread and treat drug addicts as criminals that fall from the sky, but that is not the case, as the saying goes; the environment makes the master and the master makes the environment. There is a root to every problem, the earlier the root is discovered the nearer to the solution.

Drug abuse has been defined in various ways by different researchers. Amosun (2009) defined drug abuse as the use of mood modifying substance illegally excessively and in a socially unacceptable manner. According to him the drug range from those that should not even be taken without medical prescription such as cocaine, heroin, marijuana, LSD 25, to those socially acceptable beverages such as whisky, local gin (ogogoro, beer and other alcoholic drinks). In a related development, Ohire (1990) viewed drug abuse as the improper use or application of drugs by a person without proper knowledge of the drug and without due prescription from a qualified medical practitioner; this definition focuses on the psychoactive drugs, all drugs can be used to an extent that it turns into addiction when the drug user is unable to stop the use of drugs despite the harmful effect on the users social and economic life. Ajala (2009) opined that the problem of drug abuse is so grave that although it was originally conceived as the problem of selected few, it has extended beyond the characteristic of abusers. He went on to say that the abusers erroneously believed that drugs enhanced their performances, put them in a good mood; the accompanying problems of this act constitute a major threat to the well being of the society. The spread of the cases of truancy, examination malpractices, lack of cultural values and other anti-social behaviours, have become a challenge to secondary schools administrators. Hence this study is to determine the causes of drug abuse among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government  Area of Edo State.

Statement of the Problem

The rate at which cases of mental misbehaviour, truancy, examination malpractices, lack of cultural values, sexual promiscuity, and other anti-social behaviours are being reported among secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State prompted this study to determine the causes of drug abuse among secondary school students.

Research Questions

The following research questions were posed for the study:

1. Are there evidences of drug abuse among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State?
2. What drugs are mostly abused by students in secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State?
3. What are the sources of the drugs abuse among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State?
4. Are there notable effects of drug abuse among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State?

 Purpose of the Study 

The purposes of this study are:

1. to find out the extent to which the students (both males and females) use and abuse drug in secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
2. to determine the nature, trend and prevalence of drug use and abuse in the secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
3. to identify the factors responsible for the use and abuse of drugs by secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
4. to provide theoretical explanation to the causes of drug abuse among secondary school students in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State with a view for combating the health hazard.

 DOWNLOAD COMPLETE PROJECT MATERIAL

CAUSES AND EFFECT  OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE