Prevalence And Patterns Of Phycho Active Substance Use Among Secondary School Students

Prevalence And Patterns Of Phycho Active Substance Use Among Secondary School Students

ABSTRACT.

The study was designed to determine frequence and patterns of Psychoactive Substance use

among elderly Secondary academy scholars in Dala Local Government Area( LGA), Kano

State Nigeria. The study espoused a cross sectional descriptive check design. Simple arbitrary

slice procedure was used to elect two Secondary seminaries out of the ten Government

elderly Secondary academy in Dala LGA, of Kano State. Both seminaries have a combined

population of 2293 scholars made up 1202 boys and 1096 girls. The two seminaries sample

were Government Secondary academy Kurna Asabe for boys and Government elderly

Secondary School Kuka bulukiya for girls. The instrument for Data collection was a WHO

Youth Drug Survey( WHOYDSQ) acclimated questionnaire. The trustability of the instrument

was established using a testre-test and reckoned using Pearson Moment Correlation.

Measure of0.82 was attained. Data generated was subordinated to descriptive statistics and

analysed using ki- forecourt. The frequence of psychoactive substance use among

Government elderly Secondary academy in Dala LGA, of Kano State shows that maturity

(91.1) of the repliers have been using psychoactive substances. The commonest

substances used were kola nut(87.4), tobacco( 15) and cannabis(5.5). further than partial

of the druggies of each of the substances take it sometimes, using them on one to five days in a

month except kolanut taken on twenty or further days in a month. They include manly(52.9),

womanish(47.1). Majority(68.1) of the repliers were between 18- 20 times. utmost of the

repliers who use psychoactive substances were introduced by their musketeers(60.6),

family(27.6) and by nothing(5.7). utmost(27.9) first use kolanut at the age lower than 10

times, alcoholic potables at the age of 11- 12 times(25.6) while others like tobacco,

cannabis at 19- and above times(38.3). Major reasons for using psychoactive substance

include to be sociable(25.4) and for enjoyment(24.4). There was significant difference

p<0.05) between Males and ladies in psychoactive substance use. The pattern of use is

dependent on the type of psychoactive substances( p<0.05). Also the psychoactive

substances use grounded on continuance use is dependent on the age at first use( p<0.05). In

conclusion the frequence of substance abuse among elderly Secondary academy scholars is

high as similar Government, Parents and preceptors needs to common hands and address the

problems.

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CHAPTER ONE

preface

Background to the Study

Psychoactive Substance use and dependence beget a significant burden to the individualities and

societies throughout the world. The World Health Report( 2010) indicated that8.9 of the

total burden of complaint comes from the use of psychoactive substances. The report showed

that tobacco reckoned for4.1, alcohol 4, and lawless medicines0.8 of the burden of complaint

in 2010. important of the burden attributable to substance use and dependence is the result of a

wide variety of health and social problems. Data from the( World Health Organization, 2011)

show large- scale seizures of cocaine, heroin, cannabis and amphetamine- type instigations in

different corridor of the world. Vacuity of cocaine, heroin and cannabis depends on the position

of civilization in source countries and on the success or failure of trafficking associations.

still, indeed with increased situations of law enforcement conditioning, there always seems to be

enough available to druggies. According to( UNODC, 2011) estimates show that about 200

million people make lawless use of one type of lawless substance or another.

Psychoactive substance use is a social problem that has spread and increased fleetly in

educational institutions especially among secondary academy scholars( Neeraja, 2011). This

social problem is considered an issue of serious concern as it negatively affects the lives and

performance of scholars involved as well as the harmonious functioning of the entire

structure of the society. Use of psychoactive medicines and other associated problems are inimical

to the survival and effective functioning of mortal societies. A significant number of

early deaths and accidents have been linked to the conditioning of persons under the

influence of one psychoactive medicine or the other( Shelly, 2010).

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medicine abuse is viewed by different authorities in colorful forms. Neeraja( 2011) defined

substance abuse as the dependence on a medicine or other chemical substances leading to the

effect that are mischievous to the existent’s physical and internal health or the weal of

others. According to Smelzer, Bare, Hinkle, and Cheever( 2008) substance abuse is a

maladaptive pattern of medicine use that causes physical and emotional detriment with the implicit

for dislocation of diurnal life. From these delineations, it can be derived that substance abuse is

the abuse of one or further medicines which could be specified by a health guru with the

intention to alter the way one feels, thinks or behaves and it’s associated with consequences

which include physical and emotional detriment to the person.

The African Symposium( 2010) viewed substance abuse as the indecorous use or operation of

medicines by a person without proper knowledge of the medicines and without due tradition from a

good medical guru. This description focuses on psychoactive medicines. All medicines can

be abused to an extent that it turns into dependence when the medicine stoner is unfit to stop the use

of the medicines despite the dangerous goods on the stoner’s social, particular and profitable lives. The

problem of substance abuse is so grave that though it was firstly conceived as the problem

of a ‘ select many ’, it has extended beyond the usual characteristics of abusers being males,

grown-ups and civic based people, to now include ladies, youths and pastoral residers( Rocha,

). These abusers inaptly believe that medicines enhance their performance, put them in

good mood etc. The coexisting problems of this act constitute a major trouble to the good

of the society( Ajala, 2009).

The youths in Nigeria like numerous countries of the world are decreasingly developing dependence

to psychoactive substances. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency( NDLEA, 2011)

collected medicines use and abuse data from seminaries, records of cases admitted at internal health

institutions for medicine problems and interview of persons arrested for medicine offences. The result

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showed that youths constitute the high threat group for medicine trafficking and abuse. musketeers and

academy mates regard for about 90 of the source of influence of the use and abuse of

colorful psychoactive substances. In Nigeria, alcohol and cigarette are legal substances but,

the two have been discovered to beget physical damage to mortal bodies. It has been reported

that smoking tobacco causes90.0 of lung cancer,30.0 of all cancers, and80.0 of other

habitual lung conditions( trade 2008). piecemeal from these health counteraccusations , according to Stephen

( 2010), alcohol and cigarette are said to be “ gateway medicines ” to other more potent

psychoactive medicines like marijuana, heroin and cocaine.

The future of any community, society, state or nation is tied to the character of the adolescent

in that particular place, area or position. It’s also said that “ The youth are the leaders of

hereafter ”. thus responsible youth in the society indicates responsible and lustrously

future of that society and also the reverse is the case.

In our society people are known to have had problems that had made them to borrow colorful

measures to manage with similar problems and live successfully within the confines of societal

normative values. While some people take solace in legal ways others resort to unlawful

and unhealthy measures similar as the use of medicines or psychoactive substances to the extent of

abusing them, hence performing in dependence . According to Edum( 2006) the adolescent in our

society aren’t left out in this, as they’re either told by peer group while others do so

because of the easy vacuity of the abused substances, others also watch on TV and

flicks and some read in books and so try to experiment to experience the goods. The goods

of specific psychoactive substance vary depending on their medium of action, the quantum

consumed and the history of the stoner among other factors.

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An unattractive fact that’s with us in the recent time is road business accident related to psychoactive

substance use as well as increased crime rate in Nigeria, though a number of measures are put

in place to check this imminence. This includes the establishment of the National Drug Law