INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
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Over time, individuals in the period of adolescence have given the society at large and researchers in particular, much concern. This could be as a result of the fact that adolescence marks the onset of puberty and rapid physical development that is turbulent in nature. However, there are really varied definitions about adolescence depending on the perception of the authors and the definitions reveal the characteristic behaviours of adolescents. For instance, Ngwoke and Eze (2010) described adolescence as the period of physical growth and development that brings to an end childhood and enables the growing person to achieve adult size, shape and sexual reproductive capacity. It is the period when the adolescent moves from dependent childhood stage to independent adulthood. As noted by Ezeh (2005), adolescence is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood maturity. Ezeh further stated that this period of development poses a lot of problems such as moodiness, loss of interest in parental upbringing to the young adult, the home, the school and the entire society. As noted by Aggleton, Hurry and Warwick (2000), adolescence is a time when risks of sexual and other forms of abuse, exploitation and violence are high and when the drive for autonomy and self-definition often means a reduced reliance on parents and other adults as trusted source of guidance and support.
Adolescence is a period that is characterized by growth and maturation, a transitory period from childhood to adulthood. Even though, adolescence is a gradual but continuous process of development that last about nine years on the average, it can still be divided into stages based on physical, social and emotional manifestations during the period. Psychologists popularly divide them into early and late adolescence. As noted by Ogbebor and Egbule (2006), the early adolescence begins when childhood ends and it is easily identifiable. This is usually marked by the onset of puberty which is referred to as sexual maturation. They further noted that at this stage, maturational development is basically centered on the reproductive organs.
The adolescence period is characterized by growth and maturation that manifest in transition from childhood to adulthood. Onyejiaku (1991) noted that adolescence has been described as being mysterious, boisterous turbulent, venturesome and very unpredictable. In other words, the adolescent may be found to be emotionally and psychologically unstable sometimes because of the changes they experience at this time. This period of adolescence is characterized also by frustration, a lot of crisis, turmoil, insecurity and emotional upheavals including those associated with alcoholic consumption. These adolescents in coping with these challenges fall ‘prey’ to wrong ideas and they engage in deviant behaviours like excessive alcoholic consumption (Onyejiaku, 1991).
On the other hand, late adolescence is a period in which the teenager is intellectually mature and socially refined. The physical development that started in the early adolescence blossoms in later adolescence with the girls showing a robust and more defined familial curve. The boys become a bundle of muscles that typify the strength they carry (Ihua, 2006). Operationally, adolescence is defined as a transition period between childhood and adulthood that is characterized by both early or late maturation and falls within the ages of 12 to 21 years. The individual who is currently in the period of adolescence is referred to as adolescent. Onwuamanam and Olofintoye (2007) viewed adolescents as young human beings characterized by physical strength, high cognitive ability, mature behavioural traits, logical thoughts, objectivity, abstract and critical reasoning. But in the present study, adolescents are defined as individuals are in-between childhood and adulthood (ages 10-20 years old). Thus, they are neither children nor adult but they have the characteristic composition of both children and adults
In recent years, individuals, most especially adolescents’ choices have both direct and indirect impacts on several dimensions of their lives, making the adolescents susceptible to certain abuses including consumption of addictive substances, such as alcohol. Alcohol is flammable liquid synthesized by fermentation of sugars (Balsa, Giuliano & French, 2012). Alcohol is defined as a colourless flammable liquid intoxicating drinks produced by the fermentation of sugar (Collins, 2012). Engs, Hanson and Diebold (1996) noted that the process through which alcohol is consumed by individual is known as alcohol drinking. The authors further stressed that alcohol drinking has the tendency to stimulate somebody and make him or her prone to behaviours that are not appropriate. To this end, alcohol consumption may be positively associated with the probability of undertaking a risky behaviour, suffering from emotional disorders and with a lower productivity. Indeed, it is reckoned that college students (adolescents) are particularly exposed to alcohol during their college years. For instance, an international study of alcohol consumption among students found wide geographical variation in the prevalence of risky alcohol drinking behaviour, with more than 40% of adolescent students aged between 11 to 25 having drunk heavily in the USA and in several European countries (Dantzer; Wardle & Fuller, 2006). Operationally, alcohol is seen as ethanol in form of drink with intoxicative effect that can make individual who drinks it to stupor level to behave abnormally. Among the individuals at adolescence period, alcohol accounts for more than 10% of the overall burden of diseases and injury (Rehm; Mathers & Popover, 2009).
Excessive alcohol consumption among young people is becoming a key public health priority because of its health and educational consequences. This is because alcohol has a significant important effect on student’s academic performance and on antisocial behaviour (Aertaeerts & Buntinx 2002; Singleton & Wolfson (2009). The case of alcohol could be weakened if adolescent drinking patterns become more mature in adulthood. However, a review of cohort studies shows that higher consumption in later adolescence continues into adulthood (McCambridge, McAlaney & Rowe, 2011). Excessive alcohol consumption by college students is a ubiquitous problem with potentially negative consequences, both academic and otherwise, for many students. For instance, alcohol use could conceivably affect a student’s quality of learning and academic performance regardless of its impact on school completion. Also, early heavy alcohol use may have negative effects on the physical development of brain structure which in turn affect performance. This possibility is suggested by Renna (2008) and Dee and Evanws (2003) who observed that although binge drinking does not affect high school completion rates, it does significantly increase poor academic performance among the students.
Drinking could affect learning through a variety of mechanisms. Recent neurological research suggests that under-age drinking (i.e., drinking at childhood and adolescence periods) can impair learning directly by causing alternations in the structure and function of the developing brain with consequences reaching far beyond adolescence (White and Swartzwelder, 2004). In Nigerian situation in general and specifically, the Taraba state the situation is not different. Recently, the drinking behaviour among residents in Taraba State is increasing on daily basis. Family members, even children in primary schools, are involved in heavy drinking of “Pito”, “Burukutu”, among others. In Taraba State drinking of “Pito” Beinge is very serious among adolescents. One notable thing here is that when these adolescents engage in excessive “Pito” or Burukutu” drinking, they exhibit unhealthy risk behaviour as well as antisocial behaviour such as fighting, rape, assault, stealing, among others. sometimes, they become truants in school and in most cases when they come they disagree with constituted authority and this often leads to other form of antisocial behaviours such as attack on lives and property, poor academic performance, dropping out of school, among others. Many other ones develop negative self-concept. Also, social security of the citizenry is affected because after drinking alcohol the individuals seems to be acting out of sense and can cause violence, assaults and rape. It is unfortunate that all measures put up by the authority to stop these behaviours could not work out.
Recent researches have shown that underage drinkers are susceptible to the immediate consequences of alcohol use, including blackouts, hangovers and alcohol poisoning, and are at elevated risk of neurode generation (particularly in regions of the brain responsible for learning and memory), impairments in functional brain activity, and nerocognitive defects (Zeiglen Wang, Yoast, Dickinson, McCaffree, Rabinoloitz, and Sterling, 2004). This situation calls for the need to controlling excessive alcohol consumption among adolescents in Taraba State using behaviour modification techniques such as cognitive restructuring and assertiveness training. Researchers have focused a considerable amount of attention on gender and alcohol consumption. Cornell and Lper (1998) opined that alcoholic consumption depends on gender. Gender, in this case, refers to roles and responsibilities attached to maleness and femaleness. It is also a cultural construct that differentiate between male and females, boys and girls or men and women (Nworah, 2004). Boys and girls have different ways of engaging in alcohol consumption. For instance boys may engage in drinking on regular basis while girls may engage rarely. Based on this ground, it is more noticeable in boys than the girls. Also, Dowdall (2009); Read, Menill; and Bytschkow (2010) observed that alcohol use among college students occurs in specific social environment characterized by location (independent living), gender, reduced parental control, increased social homogeneity, wide availability of alcohol related social activities such as pre-partying among others. In addition, Neil (2005) noted that a female twin studies demonstrated that females have much lower concordance rates than males for alcoholism. The author further stated that reasons for gender differences may be due to environmental factors, such as negative public attitudes towards female drinkers.
