ABSTRACT

          The topic of this research is the prevalence of drug abuse among secondary school students in Okhuokhuo community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area Of Edo State.

          The purpose of this project is to examine, evaluate, determine, appraise and analyze why students abuse drugs, the effects of drug abuse and the remedies to the prevalence of drug abuse in our society.

          From the analysis of data, the following conclusions were reached.

a.            Many youths are not aware of the prevalence of drug abuse.

b.            They also understand the commonly abused drugs, the effects and the solution or remedies to the problem.

c.            The purpose will be achieved to a great extent if strict measures are imposed on the abuse by law enforcement agencies.

Based on the following findings, I hereby recommended that the government should put in place proper enforcement on those that are found abusing drugs and they should be aware of the dangers of it, by parents and individual in the society.

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

Background of the study

Statement of the problem

Research question

Significance of the study

Scope of the study

Definition of terms

CHAPTER TWO         

Review of related literature

-                     Why students abuse drugs 

-                     The effects of drug abuse

-                     The commonly abuse drugs

-                     Solution to the problems of drugs abuse in Nigeria

CHAPTER THREE    

Design and methodology

Population of the study

Sampling procedure

Research instrument

Administration of questionnaire

Method of data analysis

CHAPTER FOUR       

Data presentation and analysis

CHAPTER FIVE

Summary, conclusion and recommendation

Summary

Recommendations

REFERENCES 

QUESTIONNAIRE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1         BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The effect of drugs has become endemic in our society to the extent that secondary school students have also indulged themselves in drug abuse because of peer group influence and also imitation of parents who are themselves drug addict or ex-addict. Students become stubborn or obstinate and also abuse their parents. They become unruly and recalcitrant as they grow in the society.

          This has been in existence from time immemorial. Drug abuse ranges from taking of hard drug to alcohol many people make use of drug hence proliferation of drug abuse in its ramification. Drug are important to human being because they perform certain functions during medical treatment, these substances relieves inner feeling and anxiety or tension of the mind and body. The use of drugs has created complex problems to as many people who have abused the drug. The problem is ubiquitous.

          The effect of drug abuse ranges from one state to another and from one country to another according to hospital records it is true. In Nigeria, the establishment of many breweries and pharmaceuticals firms has caused upsurge increased in the production of alcohol and drug. People abuse drugs to escape from their personal responsibilities and the stress of everyday life. Beside there are classifications of drugs for different motives the medical drugs are for pain relief antibiotic and curative types. The social drugs are used for social and religious purposes while no-medical drugs are neither medical or socio-cultural.

          Summarily the classification of drugs are stated as follows:

1.            Narcotics

2.            Cannabis

3.            Hallucinogens

4.            Barbiturates

5.            Sadatives

6.            Heroine

7.            Over the country drugs (DTC)

From the above classification many people over the world engage themselves in the act of swallowing smoking and chewing, which gave rise to world drug abuse explosion. The huge sum of money realised from that leads to proliferation or effect of drugs addition those who are engaged in drug business sometimes become mikioaries over night. As a result, other people try to join the bad group by carrying drugs.

     A great deal of abuse of drugs for self-treatment of physical ailment could result in ignorance for they do not know that all drugs are poisonous which can, sometimes harm the mental health of the abuser or cause him/her life. Scarcity of doctors and pharmacists and pharmacist and the uncontrolled manners in which drugs are sold to the public in our markets and patient medicine also contribute to t he problems drugs can be abused by children through imitation of older people in the home. If drugs are sold in the home they can easily be susceptible to abusing drugs. The Lagos weekend (1981) revealed that the problem as far as drugs abuse is concerned lies with the individual family. Unless parents themselves live up to their family obligation, the end of drug abuse is far from near. The family circles can influence many negative aspect encountered by their children outside.

Parents, guidance and teachers as character molders have a major role to play in the general up bringing or the child. When they discover that a child is playing with drugs he/she must be checked immediately.

1.2         STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Through discussion, interviews write up and research findings; it has been a known fact that there has been a world explosion of drug addition for more than a decade. However, in Nigeria, drugs are freely available and therefore, open to abuse. Abuse of drugs has become a cankerworm that seems to have eaten deeply into the fabrics of children in secondary schools. There is no day that passes without references to these problems of drugs abuse in the press, radio and television.

Today, people use drugs for a number of reasons, which include modification in the case of pelvic or to receive tension, bored and anxiety. Some simply use drugs out of curiosity and to open the mind to a new sensation. Other also use drugs to control appetite and to relaxation.

1.3         RESEARCH QUESTION

These questions are proposed to appraise problems encountered in the effects of drugs abuse on the academic performance into examine the possible success in reducing the incidence of drugs abuse in the society.

1.          Which group of students use drugs in the secondary school?

2.          Why do they indulge in the use of drugs

3.          What types of drugs are commonly abused?

4.          What are the effect of drugs abuse on the students

5.          Which of these drugs have you come in contact with.

1.4         SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is of immense importance to both the teachers, the students and the government, and any health organisation is the sense that.

a.            It will create awareness for the teacher and students of the existence of the use of drug abuse in the areas of school premises with view of devising possible methods of preventing information to them about drugs abuse by teachers in various schools.

b.             Another importance of drugs is to make sure that student are given the necessary knowledge about the use of drug in order to develop good characters and be disciplined ambassador in future.

c.            The study to a large extent will help the government and health organisation to be able to have laudable health objectives towards the eradication of drugs abuse among the people in the society.  

1.5         SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study will be limited to the study of the effects of drugs abuse on the academic performance in secondary school students in Okhuokhuo Community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area in Edo State. The respondents will be chosen from five secondary schools in Uhunmwode Local Government Area in Edo State.

1.6         DEFINITION OF TERMS

The operational definition for this study include:

1.            Dose: A specific quantity of medication to be administered at one time.

2.            Patient: Medicine: Medicine that can be obtained without doctor’s prescription e.g. aspirin.

3.            Pharmacist: One skilled in pharmacy (cooking of medicine) a druggist or pharmaceutical chemist.

4.            Dependence: Dependence is a static, psychic and sometimes also physical resulting in the interaction between a living organism and a drug characterized by behavioural and other respect which will always include a compulsion to take the drug on a continuous or periodic basis in order to experience it psychic effect and some times avoid discomfort of its absence.

5.            Sedative: This drugs that sooth.

6.            Prevalence: common seen or done in everywhere effects or experience.

7.            Drug: Any substance that when taken in the living organism may modify one more of its functions.

8.            Narcotic: A drug, which produce abnormally deep sleep.

9.            Barbitrates: Oramic compound used for inducing sleep e.g. mandraz, Indian Capsule, Diezephain (valium).

10.          Halluciaogen: Drugs that alters ones mood and sets imaginations.