Project Topic – PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE AMONG STUDENTS AND IT’S ASSOCIATED RISKY BEHAVIOUR

Project Topic – PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE AMONG STUDENTS AND IT’S ASSOCIATED RISKY BEHAVIOUR

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         Background of the Study

Psychoactive drugs are substances that, when taken in or administered into one’s system, affect mental processes, e.g. perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions. Psychoactive drugs belong to a broader category of psychoactive substances that include also alcohol and nicotine.  The abuse of drugs among youths has become a major national problem in Nigeria. The Youths who are expected to be leaders of tomorrow have been rendered useless to themselves and the societies in which they live, due to the impact of drug on them, thus, contributing to the increase in the number of psychiatric patients, street boys, school dropouts and delinquents. Psychoactive substance use is a rapidly growing global problem (Lakhanpal, Agnihotri, 2007; United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, 2007; Abudu, 2008). The problem of psychoactive substance use poses a significant threat to the social, health, economic fabrics of the families, society and the entire nations (Giade, 2012; Oshodi, Aina & Onajole, 2010). Almost every country in the world is affected from one or more drug being abused by its citizens. The increased of psychoactive substance use globally has brought problems such as increase in violence and crimes and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, collapse of the veins and collapse in the social structure (UNODC, 2007; Oshodi, Aina, & Onajole, 2010).

Horrible youthful activities are widespread in Nigeria to the extent that they have been giving a lot of concern to the society, government and other stake holders in Nigeria. In primary schools, peers engage in organized crimes and disrupt normal academic programs. In secondary schools, the activities of secret cults are known to have been source of threat to lives and property. In tertiary institutions, a lot of ritual killings are taking place. (Abudu, 2008; Oshodi, Aina, & Onajole, 2010). The impact of psychoactive substance use among Nigerian students has been a feature of a morally bankrupt, corrupt and wasted generation and loss of our societal values and ideals. The situation now appears to be such that no one can argue ignorance of what is happening (Abudu, 2008). “one cannot sit and pretend that he/she has not seen the menace of psychoactive substance use among adolescents” (Hamisu, Ahmad & Lim, 2014). According to Giade, (2011), any nation being used by drug barons as a transit route has the potentials of becoming a drugs abuse consumer‟s country, Psychoactive substance use threatens the security of every nation, tearing apart the societies, spawning crime, spreading diseases such as AIDS, and killing youths and the future of the country”.

Odianose (2009) commented that, psychoactive substance use is the “arbitrary” over dependence or misuse of one particular drug with or without a prior medical prescription from qualified health practitioners. Psychoactive substance use may also be defined as the “arbitrary” over dependence or miss-use of one particular drug with or without a prior medical diagnosis from qualified health practitioners (Lakhanpal, & Agnihotri, 2007). Oluremi (2012) stated that Psychoactive substance use is the harmful use of mind altering drugs. It added that the term usually refers to problem with illegal drugs, which also include harmful use of legal prescription drugs, Such as in self-medication. Majority of the Nigerian adolescents ignorantly or deliberately depend on one form of drug or the other for their various daily activities–social, educational, political, moral among others. Such drugs include: Tobacco, Indian hemp, cocaine, morphine, Heroine, Alcohol, ephedrine, Madras, Caffeine, Glue, Barbiturates, and Amphetamines. Other psychoactive substance used may include, Panadol, Benilyn, „Burukutu‟, or local beer, cigarette, solution, beer (Shehu, 2008). There is no doubt that the abuse of drug among secondary school students in Lagos State, Nigeria has continued unabated, thereby creating a social and emotional problem for both users and the society because they have now become a burden to their families and the society. Socio-emotional behaviour is the expression of a person that can be in the form of positive or negative way. Samuel (2006), viewed negative socio-emotional behaviour as any condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a period of time and adversely affecting academic performance, e.g., inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationship with peers, pervasive mood of unhappiness and fears associated with personal or school work. Socio-emotional behaviour can be observed when a child is experiencing problem more severe than those experienced by most children, and when such child behaviour in school, home, and society becomes extremely difficult to cope with and the behaviour is strange and disturbing (Onu, 2016).

1.2         Statement of the Problem

Substance abuse and addictive behaviours are now regarded as a major public health and social problem; a universal phenomenon that extends across socio-economic, cultural, religion and ethnic boundaries. The extent of psychoactive substance use has been a hallmark of a morally bankrupt and wasted generation, loss of societal values and ideals.

Based on observation, the researcher realized that students abuse drugs and sometimes they became addicted to these drugs to the extent that it influences their social and emotional behaviour and their school activities. In addition, the researchers‟ interaction with teachers shows that secondary school students in Lagos state usually start cigarette smoking and eventually mature to using other hard drugs. Peer pressure, personality traits, and social deprivation may also be contributing factors to psychoactive substance use including unstable family life. The many consequences of psychoactive substance use include suicide, increase in the level of absenteeism in school among students involved in psychoactive substance use, begging for money or stealing, crime, delinquency, homelessness and the spread of HIV infection as a result of substance users using shared syringes and needles.

1.3         Objectives of the Study

The major objective of this study was to examine the psychoactive substance use among students and it’s associated risky behaviour in Lagos State. The specific objectives are to:

  1. Identify the predominant factors that lead to psychoactive substance use among secondary school students in Lagos State.
  2. Assess the  influence  of drug  abuse  on  social  behaviour  among  secondary  schools‟ students in Lagos State.
  3. Assess the influence of psychoactive substance use on emotional behaviour among secondary school students in Lagos State.
  4. Assess how psychoactive substance use influence students‟ school work in Lagos State.
  5. Investigate the prevalence of psychoactive substance use between male and female secondary school students in Lagos State.

 

1.4         Research Questions

The following research questions were used for the study

  1. What are the predominant factors that lead to psychoactive substance use among secondary school students in Lagos State?
  2. To what extent does psychoactive substance use influence social behavior among secondary school students in Lagos State?
  3. To what extent does psychoactive substance use influence the emotional behavior among secondary school students in Lagos State?
  4. How does psychoactive substance use influence students‟ schoolwork in Lagos State?
  5. What is the prevalence of psychoactive substance use between male and female secondary school students in Lagos State?

 

1.5          Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated and tested.

  1. There is no significant difference on the factors that influence psychoactive substance use among secondary school students in Lagos State.
  2. There is no significant difference between social behavior of male and female secondary school students who abuse drug in Lagos State.
  3. There is no significant difference between the emotional behavior of male and female secondary school students who abuse drug in Lagos State.
  4. Psychoactive substance use does not significantly influence students‟ schoolwork in Lagos State.
  5. There is no significant difference between male and female students in the rate of psychoactive substance use.

1.6         Significance of the Study

The study will be significant in a number of ways. It will be useful to the students in schools, by effectively educating the students on the most prevalent drugs used and abused in schools, factors that influence psychoactive substance use and the effect on their socio-emotional status. The study will also educate students on the risks involved in psychoactive substance use.

The result of study will enlighten the parents and families, through workshop and seminars, and mass media as it will enable parents to educate their children about the risks of illicit substance use. The parents on the other hand will be enlightened on the prevalence of substance use and abuse in the families. The study will also reveal to the society on the need to eradicate or discourage the use, sale, trafficking and recycling of illegal drugs. The study will help teachers to be enlightened on the effects of substance use and abuse among student how they can guide and counsel them. All these can be achieved by publishing the outcome of this research work.

Psychoactive substance use reflects a bad image of any society and, as a result, students may not be accepted in higher learning institutions, leading to a decline in education standards. Psychoactive substance users are not likely to perform well in school and as a result may find it difficult to be accommodated in the economic market, which will lead to poverty in the society. Therefore, this study will provide information that will serve as a wake-up call for today‟s busy parents about the importance of creating a conducive environment for their children‟s growth under discipline.

The information when published in journals will help schools in understanding the root causes of the students‟ misconduct so that these institutions can find ways to encourage their (students) inner qualities by building a sense of self-worth. It can also be useful to community health and social workers who seek to promote emotional, mental and physical health of the society for it betterment.

The result when made available to home economic teachers through publication, will evoke a sense of need to enlighten students in the class on the danger of psychoactive substance use to the individual and the fabric of the society. Efforts may also be made to involve psychoactive substance use as a content of lesson in our schools by home economic curriculum developers.

 

1.7         Research Hypotheses

Based on available literature on psychoactive substance use among students, this study was based on the following assumptions that:

  1. Psychoactive substance use among secondary school students in Lagos State is influence by several factors.
  2. Psychoactive substance use influences negative social behaviour among secondary school students in Lagos state.
  3. Psychoactive substance use influences negative emotional behaviour among secondary school students in Lagos state.
  4. Psychoactive substance use may have negative influence on students‟ school work in Lagos State.
  5. Psychoactive substance use is common among male than female secondary school students in Lagos State.

 

1.8          Scope of the Study

 

The study was limited to psychoactive substance use among students and it’s associated risky behaviour in Lagos State. The study was further limited to senior secondary school students in Lagos State.

 

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Project Topic – PSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCE USE AMONG STUDENTS AND IT’S ASSOCIATED RISKY BEHAVIOUR