Study of the Deployment of Educational Programmes in Combating Drug Abuse Among Undergraduate Students of Unilag

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STUDY OF THE DEPLOYMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES IN COMBATING DRUG ABUSE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF UNILAG

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Deploying educational programmes to prevent or delay the use of psychoactive drugs, alcohol, and tobacco among students in University of Lagos is a critical, national public health goal. The simplest and most cost-effective way to lower the human and societal costs of drug abuse is to prevent it in the first place. More than 255 million Americans do not use illegal drugs. Some sixty-one million Americans who once used illegal drugs have now rejected them; many suffered as a result of drug abuse. Accidents, addiction, criminal involvement, damaged relationships, impaired judgment, and lost educational or employment opportunities were common. Of the fourteen million Americans who currently use illegal drugs, some four million are chronic abusers. Preventing America’s sixty-eight million children from using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco will help safeguard our society. Preventing drug abuse is one of the best investments we can make in our country’s future. Doing so is preferable to dealing with the consequences of drug abuse through law enforcement or drug treatment.

Drug abuse refers to the misuse or wrong use of drugs which have adverse effects on the central nervous system, mind, mood, behaviour and personality of the individual (Dewan, 2002). According to Smith (1988), it is the use of any drug to the point where it interferes with an individual’s health or with his economic or social adjustment. Omolade (2003) opines that drug abuse involves self-administration of drug in a manner that deviates from the approved medical and social patterns within a given culture.

According to Goode (1973), a drug may be defined as any licit or illicit substance that when swallowed, smoked, sniffed or injected influences the function and operation of the body and mind. For Folawiyo (1988), it is any substance other than food, which by its chemical nature, affects the structure and function of a living organism. The definition given by Dorothy & Daniel, in Abdullahi (2006) incorporates the above definitions and asserts that adrug is any chemical substance that by its chemical nature affects the structure and functions of a living organism. This includes virtually all types of materials and substances including food, ingested, inhaled or injected into the body. From these definitions, it is obvious that heroin, cocaine, marijuana, barbiturates, amphetamine, alcohol, coffee and cigarettes are classified as drugs

The prevalence of health-risky behaviors associated with adolescent illicit drug use has attracted growing international recognition. Especially in southern Africa, unsafe sexual behaviors may have significantly untoward consequences, considering the high HIV prevalence estimates from the region (Garvin et al., 2006). Unfortunately, adolescents and youth may underrate the harmful effects of unhealthy life styles (McMaster and Keshav, 1994). These unpleasant youthful activities are widespread in Nigeria and all over Africa, thus giving a lot of concern to the government and general public (Greene, 1980). Drug abuse remains a major health challenge all over the world (UNODC, 2005).

Haladu (2003) describes drug abuse as excessive and persistent self-administration of a drug without regard to medically or culturally acceptable patterns. Odejide (2000) posited that a drug is said to be abused when its use is not pharmacologically necessary especially when it’s used in face of legal prohibition or when socially acceptable beverage is used excessively. Drug abuse may lead to organized crimes and disruption of normal academic programmes. It has led to increased secret cult activities in secondary schools and most Nigerian universities, which has been a source of threat to lives and properties (Aluede, 2000).

The impact of drug abuse among Nigerian youths has also been associated with the loss of our societal values and ideals (Aluede, 2000). Drugs alter the normal biological and psychological functioning of the body, especially the central nervous system (Melis et al., 2005). Majority of the Nigerian youths ignorantly depend on one form of drug or the other (such as Tobacco, Indian hemp, cocaine, morphine, Heroine, Alcohol, ephedrine, Madras, Caffeine, Glue, Barbiturates and Amphetamines) for their various daily activities (Oshikoya and Alli, 2006). Oshikoya and Alli (2006) in their studies on perception of drug abuse amongst Nigerian undergraduates also identified dependence and addiction as one of the major consequence of drug abuse, characterized by compulsive drug craving seeking behaviours even in the face of negative consequences.

Ndom and Adelakun (1996) argued that male children from an unstable families were associated with high risk of substance abuse, this argument is supported with clinical findings by Nyki (2015) indicates that cannabis abusers are mostly young Nigerian men, including students, who have been deprived of parental supervision and warmth from infancy. Awoyinfa (2012) argued that the very high rate of alcohol use and abuse among students in secondary and tertiary institutions in Nigeria began from their childhood or early adolescence.

At times youth, including students, who hawk for their parents, are themselves exposed to substance abuse. Some youths will experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally without significant problems. Others will develop addiction, moving on to more dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and the society at large (Pela, 1989).

1.2 Statement of Problem

The health of young people is a key factor in the promotion and preservation of the health of the population as a whole because it determines the overall level of population health in the short term (Tsvetkova and Antonova, 2013). There seem to be an increasing prevalence of drug abuse amongst adolescents (university students inclusive) despite the efforts of concerned educational bodies to curb this menace. University students are the most susceptible to drug use amongst different youth groups in Nigeria because most of them live outside the watch of their parents or guardian. Hence, a comprehensive empirical study on the prevalence of drug abuse amongst university students in Lagos.

Despite the effort of many concerned bodies to curb this menace, many organizations and individuals still present these drugs as though they are harmless which often lure irrational youths into drugs and alcoholism. Drug use amongst young people should be a matter of concern to all Nigerians especially the government, school heads, the leaders of various religious groups and other NGOs. This study therefore aimed at establishing the prevalence of drug abuse amongst students in university of Lagos (UNILAG).

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research is to find out the deployment of educational programmes in combating drug abuse among undergraduate students of UNILAG. The specific objectives of the study are as follows to:

Assess the prevalence of drug abuse amongst university of Lagos.
Identify types of drugs that are commonly abused amongst university of Lagos students.
Identify the factors responsible for drug abuse among the students.
Examine educational programmes that can combat drug abuse among undergraduate students of UNILAG.

1.4 Research Questions

The study attempts to answer the following questions

What is the prevalence rate of drug abuse amongst the university of Lagos students?
What types of drugs are commonly abused by the university of Lagos students?
What are the factors that influence the consumption of these drugs?
To what extent will educational programmes combat drug abuse among undergraduate students of UNILAG?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

H_O: Deployment of educational programmes cannot combat drug abuse among undergraduate students of UNILAG.

H₁: Deployment of educational programmes can combat drug abuse among undergraduate students of UNILAG.

1.6 Significance Of The Study

There is a great need for this study as it entails what the result for the findings would be used for. The results of the study should help in creating awareness in the society on the general effects of drug abuse on their health most especially the University undergraduates. It will make the youths to realize that excessive or even small intake of this item (drugs) has inhibitory effects on their brain. The result of this of this study will be used in making the consumers to have a second thought before partaking in the act. This will go a long way in modeling their behavior which the general awareness has created.

The study will go a long way in reducing the numerous health problems encountered as a result of the misuse of drugs or the intake of hard drugs. The study will also help young researchers or writers to solve some problems of drug abuse, thereby ensuring good health of the University undergraduates or youths in general and social harmony in the society.

Finally, all the social ills in the society as a result of the effects of drug abuse among the University undergraduates in Nigeria will be drastically minimized.

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Drug: A drug is a chemical substance capable of altering the physical and psychological function of the body.

Abuse: This means the misuse of something. It can also be described as the illegal use of something. Drug Abuse: This is the misuse of drugs. It could be defined as the illegal use of substance which interferes with the human behavior.

Effects: This could be defined as consequences. It is also the power to produce result.

Undergraduate: An undergraduate is a university student who has not yet taken a first degree.

Student: A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In Britain those attending university are termed “students”.

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