Effect of Drug Abuse Among Secondary School Students

www.grossarchive.com Get your complete project materials

THE EFFECT OF DRUG ABUSE AMONG SECONDARY

SCHOOL STUDENTS

For more project materials

Log on to www.grossarchive.com

Or call

+2348130686500

+2348093423853

1

http://www.grossarchive.com/


TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Using our service is LEGAL and IS NOT prohibited by any

university/college policies

You are allowed to use the original model papers you

will receive in the following ways:

1. As a source for additional understanding of the

subject

2. As a source for ideas for you own research (if properly

referenced)

3. For PROPER paraphrasing ( see your university

definition of plagiarism and acceptable paraphrase)

4. Direct citing ( if referenced properly)

Thank you so much for your respect to the authors

copyright.

2



ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study is to look into the effects of drug

abuse, its applications on students in some selected secondary

schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. In the light

of the above topic or subject matter, attempts were made to

find out the drugs commonly abused by students and the

reasons why they are abused. As a result, the following

questions were asked as a basis for our finding.

1. What is drug abuse?

2. Why do you think children abuse drug?

3. What are some of the effects of drug abuse on the user?

4. How do drugs affect the performance of students in

schools?

5. As teachers and parents, what steps have you taken in

controlling drug abuse?

Literature was reviewed on the topic using relevant authors

such as textbooks, journals and newspapers etc. Questionnaires

3



were also made to collect vital information about the research

study. Based on the findings, it was gathered that students who

abuse drug do it because of friends, to make them bold.

4



CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF STUDY

A drug can be defined as any chemical solid, liquid or

amorphous substance derived from plants, animals or mineral

resources which is applied externally or internally to cause

some desirable effects.

Also, drug can be defined as a substance which by its

chemical nature has an effect to open the body of higher

nervous system (the mind) the effect of drug could be positive

or negative.

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF DRUG

Drug when properly used or taking into a living organism,

produces the desired result, and may modify one or more of its

functional parts; it is usually prescribed by a medical

practitioner. Such drugs or substances are either of vegetables,

animals or mineral origin. They could be prepared for the

5



human body that that produces the desired results into the

treatment of diseases and ailment.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DRUG (DRUG ABUSE)

The negative effect of drug is also referred to as drug

abuse. Drug abuse is therefore defined as the excessive

consumption of a drug by any individual. Drug abuse results

when there is self injection or from the approved medical in a

manner that deviates from the approved medical usage. Drug

abuse is involved in the following:

1. Excessive use of drugs and use of unprescribed drugs.

2. Use of hard drugs.

Excessive use of drugs and use of unprescribed drugs

This is when an individual takes in drugs without following

the current prescription of the doctor.

Use of hard drugs

Hard drugs are capable of affecting the state of the body

or mind by either depressing or stimulating the central nervous

6



system or producing other biochemical harm to the society at

large.

According to Agwusike (1990), drug abuse is the use of

drugs above the prescribed dosage and for the purpose other

than for the original prescription.

Adi also defined drug abuse as self treatment of physical

ailment which could result from ignorance. The society of

doctors and pharmacists frowned at the uncontrollable ways

and manners in which the drugs are sold to the public in our

markets, and medical stores which are contributory factors to

drug abuse. Uncivilized and developed nations, drugs other

than those for common pain, cough and cold remedies are sold

in a doctor’s prescription.

Drug abuse could be viewed from different perspectives

depending on the focus under view. It could be described as a

non medical use of drug, which may cause harm to the

individual and the society. These could be drugs which do not

conform to the society’s cultural norm of a society.

7



People generally misuse or abuse drugs because the

substance alter the mode of behaviour of an individual. Over

the years, the use of hard drugs like tobacco, sedatives, Indian

hemp, cocoa leaves, alcohol, heroine, morphine, cocaine to

mention but a few have drastically been on the increase

especially in this part of the world (Africa). The dependence or

addition, which is psychological, is characterized by the

compulsion to take drugs on a continuous or periodic basis in

order to experience its mental effect.

The history of drug abuse could also be traced to the urge

of man wanting to have power to relieve tension, satisfy his

needs obtained occasional release from problems and the need

to find a cure to some ailments, all these have contributed to

drug use and abuse. The use of drugs by man is as old as man

himself. Man consumed the juices of opium poppies long before

there were narcotics, such as morphine and heroine, man

chewed cocoa leaf long before cocaine was extracted from both

American cocoa plants. Man dried peyote castro long before

8



they synthesized. Throughout recorded history, drug has been

in use long before this medical and recreational intoxicating and

self induced relief from psychic pain and emotion. The early

history of drug is inseparable from the early history of medicine.

Most traditional drugs are always misused or abused

because of lack of dosage to determine the quantity required by

the users. The expiration period is never stated, substances

that are today referred to as drugs originated from herbs and

other natural chemicals, caffeine, which is the main ingredient

in tea or coffee and nicotine as in tobacco or cigarette, is widely

used as mind stimulant and tension relieving drugs. They are

considered socially acceptable and used recreationally.

However, they produce dependence and are also known to

cause harm. Other drugs, although are used medically for the

treatment of one ailment or the other, may also cause problems

for the individual. Examples of such drugs are psychoactive

drugs or sedatives like valium and mogadon which are sleeping

9



pills and pain killers which are medically prescribed but may be

abuse thus causing dependence and harm.

CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS

Drugs can be classified into the following viz;

1. Stimulants such as tobacco, cocaine or coffee.

2. Depressant such as alcohol and other substances of

depressants such as heroine, morphine and opiates.

3. Hallucinogens.

STIMULANTS

This kind of drug stimulates the nervous system of an

individual to behave extraordinarily leading such individual to

misbehave. The health implication is that the individual is

acting on the influence of a cultivating factor such as tobacco,

cocaine etc. Common incidence that happens around us today

is on the influence of these stimulants and if care is not taken,

could lead to mental disorder.

DEPRESSANTS

10



These are sleep inducing drugs. They are used to calm

anxious and restless subjects. These are barbiturates and non

barbiturates that are capable of producing some degree of

depression of the central nervous system (CNS). They are the

most dangerous drugs.

HALLUCINOGENS

These are substances that produce a state of altered

perception and other alteration of mood such as illusion,

hallucination. Examples of these drugs are lysergic acid diethyl

lamine (LSD) phylogibin (extracted from innobrowi) magaline.

Drug abuse has caused great problem to humanity. A lot of

damages have been done to human health as a result of drug

use and abuse and these damages could be mental, physical,

emotional and psychological so that it has in a long way reduce

life span of man. There are also social problems associated with

drug use and abuse. They include high rate of crime, deformity

either physically or mentally and affect unborn children whose

mothers abuse drugs when they are pregnant. It can even lead

11



to high rate of infant mortality in unborn babies or pregnant

mothers when giving birth to mongoloid children.

Great misfortunes have resulted as a result of drug abuse

e.g. series of road accidents that have claimed lives of men.

Drug addicts when severely under the influence of drugs walked

along the street half naked and perpetual acts like rape,

assassination and murders.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Drug abuse is a pandemic problem even on the increases

in an alarming rate in Nigeria today. About two decades ago,

incidence of drug trafficking in Nigeria was low and abuse was

minimal, but today drug has destroyed and killed many people

in the society. Students in our secondary schools are not left

out in this act. In view of this, the research is embarked on to

highlighting the i8lls of drug abuse.

Over the years, it has been observed that students from

secondary schools in Egor local government area of Edo state

are in the form of drug addiction or the other as well as being

12



involved in drug abuse. This research is therefore designed to

view immediate causes and health implication of drug abuse

among students in some selected secondary schools in Egor.

The researcher hoped that this research work would help

the teachers, school authorities and the society at large to

minimize the use and effects of drugs in schools. Also, this

study will encourage the government of Egor local government

area to establish drug rehabilitation centres with the help of the

ministry of health and drug inspection unit (DIU) to care for

addicts.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

The purpose of this study is to highlight the causes of drug

abuse among students in some selected secondary schools in

Egor local government area of Edo state by random sampling

thus by taking from the beginning, middle and deep end of the

local government. Although the4rer are books, magazines,

articles and newspapers reports on drug abuse, no in-depth

research has been conducted on the incidence of drug abuse in

13



students and to recommend appropriate solutions to if possible.

The researcher intends to engage the following:

a. Find out the main causes of drug abuse on students.

b. Determine the effects of these drugs on the students.

c. Find out the influence of drugs on the students and the

effect of drug abuse on the society.

d. Find out the reasons why students abuse drugs.

e. Find out the overall effects of the abuse of drugs on the

students.

This study might also stimulate the researcher into areas

of drug education or some aspects of drug use and abuse

among students.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

This study is aimed at investigating drug abuse and its health

implication on students in secondary schools. The following

therefore are some of the objectives at the end of the study.

1. Students would be informed on the negative effects of

drug use and abuse.

14



2. Parents and teachers will be acquainted of their roles in

curbing drug abuse from early childhood.

3. More researchers will be encouraged to carryout research

work on the causes of drug abuse and its remedy.

4. Government will be able to make policies and laws that will

prohibit the use of dangerous drugs.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of this study is to provide resource

materials for many that want to have deeper knowledge abou8t

the causes, effect and control of drug abuse.

This research work will encourage organization like

NAFDAC, NDLEA, health organizations like WHO, SHE and

government parastatals to establish drug rehabilitation centres

to help victims of drug abuse.

15



Moreso, the significance of this study is to outline its

health implication amongst secondary school students, which

will be centred on the following:

1. To identify the causes of drug abuse among secondary

school students.

2. To help reduce the hazard of drug abuse to minimum and

to enlighten the teachers on how to educate their students

and the society at large.

3. To reduce the incidence of rape among secondary school

students.

4. To alert the government on how to control the abuse of

drugs since the short term and long term effects are

disastrous.

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

The following are the basic assumptions made by the

researcher.

a) That the habit of addicting to drugs begins from the

environment the child grew up in.

16



b)Students who use drugs are prone to disease attack.

c) Students use drugs and abuse them because they are

easily available.

d)Use of drugs can lead to psychosis and premature death.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

In the course of carrying out this research work, the research

will attempt to proffer solutions to the following questions.

a) What are the classes of drugs?

b)What drugs are commonly abused by students?

c) Why do students use drugs?

d)What are the causes of drug abuse?

e)What are the health implications of drugs abuse?

HYPOTHESIS

In order to achieve a purposeful result in this research, it is

necessary to declare the following statements.

1. Students engage in drug abuse in an attempt to cope with

the opposite sex.

17



2. Most students abuse drugs in order to gain absolute self

confidence amongst fellow students in class.

3. Drug abuse among students results from influence from

friends and peer group pressure.

4. Students who abuse drugs are sure to suffer from mental,

psychological and emotional problems.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study was carried out in some selected secondary

schools in Egor local government area of Edo state. The schools

covered for this research include: Uselu secondary school,

Eghosa grammar school all in Edo state. These schools were

selected because of their past and present records of drug

abuse.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study is faced with the problem of time and finance,

which are the common problems usually encountered by

18



researchers. Consequently, the researcher could not

administered questionnaires to a large number of students.

Inadequate time to spread questionnaires to more secondary

schools allowed to for only few schools to be reached.

Another limiting factor was the lack of cooperation from

some stubborn students who do not want to give factual

answers to the questions. This made the work more difficult and

stressful for the researcher and some students were not able to

read the questionnaires and write down the answers.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Depressants: these are sleep inducing drugs and they are

used to calm down anxiousness and restless subjects. The

drugs include the barbiturates and non barbiturates such as the

minor tranquilizers.

D.I.U: drug inspection unit.

Drug addict: this is drug addiction, in other words master to

drugs.

19



Drug abuse: this is the administration or the use of drugs

without prescription.

For more project materials

Log on to www.grossarchive.com

Or call

+2348130686500

+2348093423853

20


Effect of Drug Abuse Among Secondary School Students

Documents

Transcript of Effect of Drug Abuse Among Secondary School Students